The Return
by Calissa.Drey
Summary: After the destruction of the first Death Star, Darth Vader is transported into The Force Awakens. How will his presence impact the story? Will he team up with Kylo Ren and the First Order? Or will Vader be pulled back to the light by Luke and Co?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: This story is a request from** _ **the core of justice.**_

 **Darth Vader's POV**

Gone.

The Death Star was gone.

General Tarkin was dead.

Those idiotic rebels had destroyed everything I had worked so hard for. Their arrogant spirit combined with sheer luck was the end of my grand plan to create an even stronger Empire. To think, it was all done by a child with little experience. Some teenager, from a sand planet of all places, had a power in the Force that had a strength that rivaled some of the greatest Jedi I have ever known. The boy was untrained and yet he already possessed such power.

My escape ship was still spiraling out of control as anger filled my mind. I allowed a spoiled little princess, a lowlife smuggler who has a reputation with Jabba the Hutt, and an inexperienced farm boy with such an optimism his presence made me nauseous.

Or, perhaps my nausea was coming from this incessant spinning. The black infinite space looked white as the stars morphed into place. Suddenly, an array of images came before me.

There was a young girl. She had brown hair pulled back into a complex style with three distinguished bumps and wide brown eyes. She wore a white cloth-like fabric that wrapped around her tightly. Her skin looked dry. She looked directly at me and then pulled dark goggles down to shield her eyes.

There was a gust of wind and then sand began to engulf around her. I squinted my eyes to try and find her silhouette, but all I could see was the sand whipping around almost like a tornado. It was a mixture of yellow and tan, and I could almost feel the penetrating heat like I was back home on Tatooine.

A flood of emotions followed. I thought of my mother, and how she was brutally taken away from me. Tatooine was a place where nothing good could arise. All that came from that retched planet was sweltering heat, sand that could burn through skin, and unlawful death to innocent people who have committed no crime.

I was reminded of the first time I met Obi-Wan. He was peculiar, but he was everything I wanted to be. He was a Jedi, a hero from the stories I use to hear when my mother rocked me to sleep. Obi-Wan was supposed to be perfect, and instead he was but an utter disappointment. He lacked empathy and did not know what it meant to seek revenge. He never knew true loss.

And Padme...The girl I thought to be angel. It hurt me to think about her. I felt a pain deep in my chest at the mention of her name. Even though she tried to stop me from becoming my true self, I cannot hold her responsible. She did not know any better. I loved her, and that was why I had to destroy her. Love is weakness.

The sand stopped swilring, slowly falling to settle back into place. The silloutte of the girl stepped forward, but instead of being the same person, it was now a Stormtrooper. There was a bright red mark of blood across his helmet. He ripped off his helmet and revealed a young black male. He was panting heavy, fear evident in his eye. He was looking all around, his eyes landing on me. He stared at me, his chest moving up and down rapidly.

I began to say something, but then the boy disappeared. I sat there, perplexed, staring into the now still stars. It seemed that my escape pod had stopped spinning. But, why had I seen those people? What did it mean?

I looked down onto my dashboard and clicked on the location screen. The dimly lit screen started blinking rapidly, avidly searching for my location. After a few moments, a red box popped up that read: _Location cannot be found. Current system is unidentified._

I slammed my fist onto the dashboard in frustration. I needed to get back to Emperor Palpatine. He would not be happy with me. I reached down and clicked on my com to try and reach him.

"Emperor," I inhaled slowly. "Surely you have heard about the Death Star."

Static.

"Emperor Palpatine?"

Static again.

How odd. Perhaps his com system is down? Or maybe everything on this blasted escape pod is utter garbage. I knew we should not have hired such mongrels to take care of important matters such as these. They are completely incompetent and cannot be trusted to do anything other than wire useless necessities.

I let out a sigh and began to power on the controls. I would just have to find my own way back to the Emperor. I will just find a planet and demand that they allow me to contact him. I flipped up a few of the switches and pushed forward on the throttle. My small pod began moving forward.

I glanced down and decided to give my location screen another try. As I began to research, the escape pod was jerked backwards. I let out a small gasp of surprise and spun my chair around.

"Thank the Gods." I whispered as I saw the giant ship before me. I could recognize the Empire's battle ships anywhere. I knew most of the designs, and while this one was quite different than most I've seen, I could recognize a few signs that gave it away.

The ship was using a gravitational force to pull me into its loading dock. I glanced around with little interest as the Stormtroopers latched my escape pod on firmly. I clicked open the hatch and began to unload from my seat when I noticed that all the trooper's turned their guns on me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I hissed, anger boiling up inside. Were these unranked troops really going to try and shoot me?

None of them replied. They just stood there, holding their blasters up at me.

"You will speak when you are spoken to!" I held out my hand and began to Force choke the Stormtrooper closest to me. The others stepped back suddenly, their weapons lowering as they watched one of their own try to struggle against my power.

"It's you." A voice came from across the room.

I spun around, letting the Stormtrooper fall to the ground. I was taken aback at the sight before me. There was a man dressed similar to me. He wore all black and had a mask. Even his voice was deeper than it should be. Why would Emperor Palpatine allow a battle ship captain to replicate me?

"What is the meaning of this? My men attacking me? Where is your com system? I need to contact Emperor Palpatine at once."

"Emperor Palpatine is dead." The person spoke and took a few steps forward. "I can't believe it's really you…"

"Dead? The Emperor is not dead!" I scoffed at this statement. This Captain must be deranged.

"He died on the second Death Star."

"There was only one Death Star, I know because I was instrumental in its construction." I vexed. "Just, who are you? Spreading lies about the Empire! Things like that will get you killed."

The man cleared his throat. "I am Kylo Ren. I am the leader of the First Order, and I am finishing what my deceased Grandfather started."

"And, who was that?" My impatience was rising. This man was clearly unstable.

"You, Darth Vader. My dead Grandfather is you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N- Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed the first chapter. I'm relatively new to the Star Wars fandom and I'm really excited to get some stories out there. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

I was silent.

Grandson?

I did not have a Grandson. I did not even have children. The only child I ever had…It was dead. Padme died on that night, or at least that what I heard _…A broken heart_ , the newspapers had called it! Padme Amidala had died because someone had broken her heart…No one knew who it was. And, there was no way the fetus growing inside her could have survived. Not when their own mother didn't love them enough to stay alive.

My child had died.

There was no argument about it.

Right?

I suddenly felt very unsure of myself. I had never given it much thought, hating to think about my past life in general. But, now, with this man in front of me making such claims, I was not sure what to think.

"I do not have children." I stated slowly, aware of all the Stormtroopers watching in anticipation. "And if I did, there could only be one."

"Oh, but, you do!" Kylo Ren reached up and pulled off his mask. He revealed a very pale face with locks of black hair. I was surprised at how young he actually was, considering how deep his voice had been modified to sound. "Padme had twins! Of course, you wouldn't know, though. You died before Emperor Palpatine revealed it to the public."

The Emperor hid that from me?

I had felt my trust for him slipping as the years went by. Little things here and there, secrets we should have shared, but this? I never thought he would hide something like this from me. He was holding things over my head, stringing me along like a puppet. He was using things to fuel my anger to benefit him. Had he been using me as much as I had been warned?

"Well, obviously I am not dead!" I hissed out in annoyance. "I did not die on the Death Star. It just exploded moments ago. Let me go speak to Emperor Palpatine myself and I will come to understand this nonsense you speak."

"I already told you, Lord Vader, the Emperor is dead. Luke Skywalker killed him." Kylo said in disgust.

"That asinine child defeated the Emperor?" I could feel the rage inside growing. "Impossible!"

"Not when he had training from Jedi Master Yoda." He retorted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

My entire body went still. That name…I had not heard that name in nineteen years. Yoda was rumored to be dead. Massacred with all the other Jedi. I had the inkling that he was in hiding, but Palpatine assured me that the little green creature was too old to rebel against us.

"How did he find Yoda? I searched for years…" I could not contain my confusion. I knew I must have looked weak in front of this 'Kylo Ren', but I was so utterly lost. If everything he said was true, I must have somehow been transported through time? While the mere thought seemed rather ridiculous, I had heard stranger things in my life.

"Obi-Wan communicated with him through the Force. He told him where to go, and trained him as well. He helped him contain his thoughts."

"Obi-Wan…" I muttered his name with such an emotion I could not place. Even in death, my old master betrays me. I never should have trusted him. He told me that his death would make him stronger. I should have known. "Who exactly are you? How do you know all this?"

"Luke Skywalker was my Master before I turned to the Dark Side." He stated slowly, as if he was scared what he was telling me would set me off. "He is also my uncl-"

Before he could finish speaking my hand flew up and I began choking him. This man was deranged. How dare he insinuate that farm boy be my offspring?

 _Anikan, look into your heart._

A voice broke through my mind. I suddenly released my Force grip from Kylo Ren, and he toppled to the ground, gasping for air. His hands dug at his throat in a desperate attempt to breathe.

 _The truth is there. You must seek it._

"Luke Skywalker is my child." The words sounded so foreign, yet they felt right. How could this be? How could he be my child?

"Y-yes!" Kylo chocked out, nodding his head. "And my mother is-"

"Leia Organa." Her name escaped my mouth before I could even comprehend the thought. All those years Bail had her walking right in front of me and the Emperor. Had they both known? Was it only me and the princess they kept in the dark? I had tortured her, destroyed everything she loved, and yet still she had denied me access to the information I needed. I had known she had Force power in those moments, yet the Emperor was so keen on Luke. Perhaps he did not know about her, and Bail Organa had outsmarted us once again. All those years she had been right there…

"Yes, Senator Organa is my mother." Kylo Ren agreed, seeming happy that I was realizing the information on my own. "And my father is the _infamous_ Han Solo."

"Jabba the Hutt has really let me down, then." I crossed my arms, recalling the rumors of the Hutt master's hatred for Han Solo. "Letting his smugglers live after destroying my Death Star. I'll need to have a talk with him."

Kylo's lip twitched slightly. "Jabba the Hutt is also dead. My mother killed him to save my father. The Emperor had him frozen in carbonite."

None of this seemed real. How could I have been transported here? The Emperor was dead, Jabba the Hutt was dead, and I had no doubt in my mind that also meant Boba Fett was no longer on my service.

"And I am expected to join you, then?" I asked, wondering if this was supposedly all that was left of my legacy. "If everyone else is dead, are you the sole 'bad guy'?"

This caused Kylo to smile. "I may be your only option, but I am also the best shot you have at defeating those who destroyed your beloved Death Star."

"So it would seem." I agreed, glancing around at the Star Ship. If this was all true, I needed to accept what had become of my situation. My mind told me it was impossible, but the Force told me it was true, and I always trust the force. "Now, tell me everything I need to know."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I had some things come up and haven't been able to write as much as I would like. However, I am back and this story should continue in a timely manner. I hope you like this chapter.**

 **Finn's POV**

I've never been much for gossip.

Rumors are impossible to avoid here. They spread like wildfire, and the more a person tries to contain them, the faster they spread. During my training days at the academy, I had heard many rumors from my fellow Stormtroopers. They mainly spoke of secret and sensual relationships, but the gossip that spread also included political scandals that were much higher up than us. We probably had no business meddling in such things. One word and we would have gotten in loads of trouble for it. Yet, it was discussed all the same.

I never spread gossip. Or, at least, I tried hard not to. It's never reliable and most of the time, I have found that it causes rifts between squads. The only times I have found myself intently interested in learning information is when it is about The Force. It is such a mysterious thing. No one can quite understand it, except for those who can use it. Some troopers claim that they are Force sensitive and they explain what it feels like. I'm not sure I believe them.

Today was no different than any other day. I went down to the common room to try and get my mind off the upcoming mission to Jakhu. Luckily, the troopers were already engaged in a conversation.

"You can sense danger because everything turns red around it." One of the Lieutenants, TK-1321, was explaining. "A friend of mine said that he met Luke Skywalker and that he confirmed it, too. The Force makes you see colors."

"Yeah, I heard that General Organa can't see colors and that's why we have an advantage over her!" Another trooper added. "She won't recognize us from any other regular ship if we are disguised."

I sat down at a table next to the men talking. I never engaged in conversation when it came to things like this. I don't know what it is like to be Force sensitive. All I know is what I've heard from others.

 _Rumors._

I found it odd that General Organa couldn't see colors, if that was in fact how it worked. She had been instrumental in defeating the Empire, so how could she not have some type of power?

"Well, I heard that Han Solo left her because he saw red around her!" The Stormtroopers were still spouting off things they thought to be true.

I felt a smile creep onto my lips as I thought of the old war hero. If there were any rumors I liked to hear about a person, it was about Han Solo. I have looked up to him my entire life. He was a smuggler who no one would expect to do good things. I always admired that, even though he is one of Kylo Ren's least favorite people.

"No, Han Solo doesn't even believe in the Force." One dismissed. "He probably left General Organa for some younger princess who can give him what he _needs_."

I shook my head at this. I don't know why Han Solo left General Organa, but that just seemed wrong. He didn't strike me as the type to leave his wife of several years just for a short fling. He seemed so respectable and honorable…But then again, stories often portray characters in the way the teller wants them to be seen. Maybe he isn't even a war hero.

The door slid open quickly and a hush fell on the room. Captain Phasma came through the threshold, standing tall and mighty. Everyone immediately stood up to acknowledge her presence. She held up her hand, and began to speak.

"I have important news to deliver from Kylo Ren." She began.

I wriggled in my seat, leaning forward. The atmosphere changed quickly, everyone now deadly serious.

"We have a new leader joining The First Order. He has years of experience in the field and dealing with the rebels. He has extensive knowledge with the Force and will be beneficial to us. All of you have heard his name, rumored to be dead. Darth Vader is on our ship."

It was against protocol to begin speaking before a Captain gave permission, yet the room erupted in chatter.

"Darth Vader is alive?!" TK-1321 asked.

"And he's joining The First Order?" The man next to him exclaimed.

Captain Phasma cleared her throat and held her hand up once again. "You are to treat him with the upmost respect. At this moment, he is being informed of everything that is crucial. Wherever he was, he missed out on a lot. With that being said, if you know more information about something than he does, he is still the higher ranked official and you will inform him with patience and understanding. Otherwise, you will be subjected to not only my punishments, but Kylo Ren's as well." She paused a moment, as if she was testing to see if anyone would speak. No one dared to utter a word.

She looked all around the room before continuing. "Now, we will be leaving for our mission on Jakhu in ten standard hours, so I suggest you stop gossiping like teenage girls and go check and prep your weapons. I have a feeling they will be used tonight."

Her hand dropped and she turned, leaving the room. As soon as the door shut behind her, the room began speaking again. I hardly heard what they were saying, though. The mere thought of Darth Vader being on the same ship was mind boggling. I never thought anything like this could be possible. How could he even be here?

It seemed that a few of the others had decided to take Captain Phasma'as advice and began heading to check their weapons. I thought about staying behind and listening to the remaining shocked troopers and their comments on the matter, but I figured that since it was my first real mission, I wanted things to go smoothly. I already felt a lot of pressure to do well, and now with Darth Vader aboard the ship, my mind was filled with millions of scenarios that could go wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Look! A regular update! I told you guys I was back and ready to rumble. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

I was escorted by several Stormtroopers to what Kylo Ren had deemed my new 'quarters'. It was a decent sized room that included minimal necessities. There was a bed with thin beige sheets and a rather fluffy looking pillow. This was adjacent to a small metal desk with several electronic devices. This room had belonged to one of Ren's generals I think, but I supposed it would work. I never was one who needed some grand room to be happy. All I really needed were a few more things to help with my breathing machine and I would be content with this room.

I walked into the room and sat down on the bed, my hand running absently over the sheets. I recalled all the information Kylo Ren told me. None of it seemed real. Luke Skywalker was the savior. He was the one the prophecy foretold. He defeated the Empire and destroyed the Sith… Or so he thought. The prophecy did not predict _this._ I am still alive, when I should be dead.

 _I should be dead._

It is a strange concept to ponder on. The whole galaxy has been rejoicing in my absence for what has been decades now. Even the Emperor thought I was dead. Did he even look for me? Did he know that this was my destiny? To be transported into some weird time warp where nothing is like it should be? No one I know is alive. All my allies are gone. I feel no particular sadness for their deaths, only that with their deaths I no longer have any resources. All that I can depend on now is Kylo Ren.

My new ally holds a lot of anger and hostility, and I must say that I am impressed. I can feel his rage burning within him. He is a privileged and spoiled boy, however. He does not know true loss or bloodshed. I do not know him well enough yet, but I can sense his weakness. He does not know true pain. He is unlike all my other allies, who have gone through atrocities that shaped them into the cruel and inhuman beings they were.

He does not know what it is to have his heart ripped out in front of him. I gripped the sheets with my fists, thinking about my mother. The way her limp body felt in my arms. The warm flames that reflected back to me in her lifeless eyes. The swirl of emotions that wracked my body. I would have given _anything_ to save her.

Kylo Ren does not feel that way about his mother. In fact, it has become very clear that his intentions are to destroy her very existence. Leia Organa, his mother, and my daughter, is the woman we are trying to take out first.

"If we take General Organa out first, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo will both return to public eye and we can knock them down when they're weak." He told me this with such a lack of empathy that it really struck me. "She is the heart and if we destroy the heart, they will fail."

He referred to his mother as the General she was, not who she was to him. He did not refer to Luke as his uncle or as his mentor, but a person he needed to destroy. Han Solo was no different. I thought that it was strange for Kylo to speak this way. It was almost as if he detached himself completely from his past.

My past fueled my anger. It fueled my passion and strength in the Dark side. What fueled Kylo Ren? Why was he really on the Dark side? I couldn't put my finger on it. I could not imagine that his life was so horrible. He was not a slave. His mother was not a slave. His mentor was not- His mentor…That's it! Luke Skywalker was trained by my old master, Obi-Wan. A traitor such as that would not have taught Luke properly and that must have been enough to send Kylo Ren over the edge. Right? A bad teacher could send someone to the Dark side, could they not?

It didn't seem like enough, but it was all I could deduce. I pushed myself up from the bed and began pacing around the room. I tried to wrap my mind around other things, such as the newfound information of being a father. I envisioned myself with Padme, her holding a baby Luke and me holding a baby Leia. It brought a warm feeling to my chest that I quickly pushed it away. I did not have time to dwell on what it would have been like to have had a family. I had more important matter to focus on.

In a few hours, I will be leaving to attend a mission on Jakhu. My job was to watch and assess the situation, as Ren had put it. We were to be raiding some camp to find out information on the Princess. Afterwards, I was to be meeting with someone known as Snoke.

I never heard of Snoke before, and I had known several risings with potential. He must be young and perhaps a late bloomer. I have much interest in meeting him and getting to the bottom to all of this. I do not intend on being another apprentice. No, that did not work last time. Had the Emperor listened to my ideas, I would not be here in the first place. I will not be another right hand man. I will be in charge.

As I continued to pace, there was a slight knock on my door. The metal slide open and revealed a Stormtrooper in a higher rank uniform. It was silver, almost metallic. There was a red cape that was slung over its shoulder.

"Who are you? And why have you disturbed me?" I asked as I slowed to a stop.

"I am Captain Phasma, sir." She spoke in a regal voice. She seemed shocked that I was there. "I did not mean to disturb you, but this is my room."

"Kylo Ren did not tell you that I now occupied this section?" I felt my nostrils flaring. Little mix ups like this always made me seethe with fury. If one of my men had done this, they would have been a victim of my rage.

"No, it appears he did not." She stated awkwardly. "And, I am afraid that he is in a meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke."

"Is there not someone else of lesser importance who can deal with such a trivial matter?"

"Well, we are very limited on rooms, sir." There was a hint of sass in her voice. "I cannot say that I am particularly pleased that it was _my_ room he gave away. I am leading the mission on Jakhu and need to prep and that is hard to do without a room."

I watched her a moment, my eyes tracing the sharpness of her suit. It wasn't often we had female Stormtroopers, as they did not often reach the height requirement. But, Captain Phasma exceeded the height requirement by several inches. She seemed like a good soldier, and I could sense her irritation yet wariness of being near me. I let out a small sigh. "You can stay here and prep whatever you need to. Just, stay out of my way."

She nodded and stepped inside the room. "Thank you, Lord Vader." She walked passed me and over towards the metal desk. She sat down and began upholstering her weapons and plugging them into the devices that surrendered her. I continued my pacing, walking from the bed to the door.

Captain Phasma glanced up at me briefly and then returned to her work. After a few minutes she glanced back up at me again. "Is everything alright, sir?"

"Yes." I stated shortly.

"The other troopers were happy to hear about your arrival on ship." She said slowly, looking back to her weapons. "You have instilled a new hope in them."

"A new hope?" I asked darkly.

"Indeed. This next mission has a lot of new recruits so I will give you a fair warning a lot of them are going to need reprehension." I felt like she had a smile as she said this. "I hear that you have a good track record for maintaining order and proper training?"

"You do what I say or I kill you." I nodded. "It's simple but some people are too idiotic to understand such a concept."

"If you have some free time," She ventured, "I could really use your help with instilling some respect from the troops."

"The troops don't respect you?" I crossed my arms.

"Oh, no they respect me just fine." She stuttered over her words. "I's just that- they don't- well I can't really say who- oh, will you help me or not?"

"You should watch your tongue, Captain, and remember who you are speaking to." I said firmly. "After I have done my assessments on this mission and if I see that the troops are lacking respect, I will consider helping you."

"Thank you, sir." She replied and went back to her work once again.

"Although next time, I would suggest telling me that the troops have no respect for Kylo Ren instead of stuttering like a buffoon. It would make things less hostile."

She jerked her head up at me and nodded. "Yes, Lord Vader."

I shook my head and sat down on the bed. I studied Captain Phasma a bit longer, trying to feel what kind of person she was. I got nothing from her. She was like a machine, devoid of her intentions. There was something about her that I found fascinating, so I quickly wrote her as a person to learn more about. Perhaps she could be a potential ally? Maybe she could be an inside for me? It was hard to tell where her loyalties really were.

While I was unsure about several things, one thing was for certain. This place was going to take a lot of getting used to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Hey guys! Time to check in on things in another part of the galaxy before we get to see Vader and Co on Jakku. I hope you like this chapter! Big shout out to all the people who have followed this story. 38 already! You guys are awesome! Don't forget to let me know what you think so far. Also, there will most likely not be an update next Sunday because of Christmas, but you never know. Happy Holidays and enjoy! (:**

 **Leia Organa's POV**

A year.

It is only three hundred and sixty five days. It seems like a long time, but before one even realizes it, a new year is approaching.

Time was never something that my mind could seem to understand. Up until I reached the age of nineteen, my life slowly went about. I had many things to do, accomplishing things at such a young age made for an extremely busy and taxing life. Yet, I was a child who felt as though she had been alive for a century. I had seen things that aged me.

Politics was a dirty thing. It was even dirtier in the midst of a war. I had seen injustice on top of injustice and it was not something that I liked to think of. There were decisions that I had to make that saved most, but still destroyed some. No matter what side of the battle one is on, they will see blood on their hands.

Time froze when I watched Alderaan explode in front of me. I can still remember the orange blaze that erupted among the stars. I could imagine the screams that were not heard, but only felt as the life was prematurely ripped from their bodies. I could remember Darth Vader's heavy hand on my shoulder, the cool material of his gloves resting tightly, sending a burning sensation through me. Grand Moff Tarkin emitted evil and triumph in that moment, but Vader remained emotionless.

I didn't know how much time passed after that. I could have been in that small cell for hours, days or even weeks. All I could do was relive the moment of the destruction of my home planet. Then, when I met Luke and Han, time started to tick like before. It was slow, and I found myself wondering how much longer all of this could go own.

Once Han and I admitted our feelings, I never thought much about time. It just seemed to pass. Being with him completed me in so many ways. I was cracked in so many places, and he knew how to hold me together. When I found out I was pregnant with Ben, time passed far too quickly. In the blink of eye, he was born and growing up oh so fast. Before I knew it, he was off with Luke, training to become a Jedi.

The death of my son caused time to shatter. I tried to tell Han that we could bring Ben back, but after Luke disappeared, it was hard to keep the hope alive. Then, Han left. He told me that he loved me, but that he couldn't stay and watch me be so broken when he knew he couldn't fix it. He could no longer hold me together, and that tore him apart.

I wanted to lay down in my bed and never get up again. I wanted to cry and scream and to just give up. And, to be quiet honest, I did just that. But as The First Order formed and gained power, I watched as many people put their faith in me. With Luke and Han out of reach, I was the only hero left from the war. Everyone came to me, asking what we would all do to take down The First Order. As I saw the look of complete respect and faith from the people, I knew that I would have to pull myself together and allow time to start again.

"General Organa?" Poe Dameron came up cautiously behind me.

I turned to the young pilot, turning my attention towards him. He was one of my favorite people these days. It was rare that I could find someone I could trust with my life. He was unlike so many of the others, and I considered him a part of my family now. He was all I had, aside from C-3P0.

"Poe." I smiled at him. "Just the man I was looking for."

"I am?" He asked, looking at me with large doe eyes.

"Yes, I wanted to ask a favor of you."

He nodded, placing his hand in his pocket. "Anything you need, General."

"I need you to go to Jakku." I spoke, glancing around to see if his trusty droid was lingering near.

"Jakku?" He asked. "Why Jakku?"

"Lor San Tekka is there." I explained, watching his puzzled expression. "I believe he may have a map to locate Luke Skywalker."

Poe let out a low breath. I could tell he was surprised by this. He seemed rather touched that I asked him to do this. "It would be an honor to take on this mission for you, General Organa."

"Thank you, Poe." I said and started to go about my business when I remembered that he was the one who initially approached me. "Was there something you needed?"

He looked startled a moment, his eyes flicking as he tried to remember. "Oh! Yeah, I just wanted to give you word that apparently Han Solo was spotted yesterday. It is all over the holo."

I blinked and stared at him a moment. "It's probably nothing more but a rumor. He has been 'spotted' a lot over the years." I thought back to the time he and Chewbacca were supposedly seen on Kashyyyk. "Han is pretty good at hiding from people."

"Yeah, maybe." Poe agreed, nodding his head. "I just thought I would let you know, just in case it turns out to be true. You never know."

I let out sigh, and thanked him. "I appreciate it."

"Do you miss him?" Poe asked suddenly, before I could turn away.

I considered him a moment, and then decided to give him an answer. "I miss him. I miss Chewbacca. I miss Luke. I miss Ben." I gave him a sad smile. "I miss the way things used to be."

"They say time heals all wounds," He said, his eyes in a distant place. "But that's a load of crap if you ask me. Time doesn't do anything."

"Time is a fickle thing." I agreed and then bid him farewell before the conversation could progress any further.

I decided to return to my work. I tried her best to focus, but my mind was plagued with possibilities. If Poe was successful, and Lor San Tekka did have the map to find Luke, maybe I could finally get my brother to return and we could get Ben back as well. And maybe then Han and Chewbacca would come home, and we could be a family again.

I knew it was foolish, but I was putting all my faith on the mission to Jakku, hoping that maybe this time, time would be on our side.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: The wait is finally over! Happy New Year! Also, I would like to say a quick word in regards to the passing of Carrie Fisher. She will be deeply missed and she will forever be our Princess. – I hope that you guys like this chapter. Let me know what you think! ALSO, I would like to give a special shoutout to** _ **Dragon-Bowl**_ **and the Guest for your reviews. You are awesome! Like, seriously awesome!**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

Jakku had never seemed like a planet worth visiting. It was a sand planet with little to do. Out of all places for a man to hide, it was rather smart. There wasn't a ton of action, therefore no one would think to come here to find him. It was rather unfortunate for the Rebels, or so now called the Resistance, to have not gotten here first. I was curious as to how the First Order knew to come here, but out of all my recent confusion, that little bit of information seemed rather irrelevant. It didn't matter how he acquired the information. It only mattered that we got what we wanted.

I stood silently beside Kylo Ren and watched the wings of the ship extended upward as we descended to the ground. The night sky was dark, a slight haze from smoke clouding the air. Beneath us was complete and utter chaos. Orange flames busted into the small village, sending its inhabitants into a frenzy.

The ramp was slowly lowered down and Kylo and I began walking to the center of the village, Stormtroopers trailing behind us. The ground troops had gathered the villagers in a group, their guns up and ready to fire. I followed closely behind my grandson, spotting Lor San Tekka. Two troopers dragged him forward, presenting him before us.

Kylo took a step forward, staring at the man who held the information to find Luke Skywalker.

"Look how old you've become." Kylo Ren simply stated.

"Something far worse has happened to you." Tekka replied, his eyes filled with a sadness that reminded me of the way some of the older Jedi use to look at me. I realized very quickly that the two must have met before. I was unsure of how well, but I got the feeling that Tekka had known Kylo Ren for far longer than most.

"You know what I've come for." He said, redirecting the older man's train of thought. It was apparent he did not wish to talk about his fall to the dark side.

Tekka did not take the bait. "I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren."

I could feel my Grandson's unrest. It was not there for long. It was the tiniest quiver, he felt the sudden pull to the light, and then in the blink of an eye he was back to feeling his rage.

"The map to Skywalker. We know you found it." He turned and began to walk. "And now you're going to give it to the First Order."

Tekka's eyes lingered on me a moment, scrutinizing me. His eyes grew wide but then he shook his head in disbelief. He turned his attention back to Kylo. "The First Order rose from the dark side. You did not."

Anger flooded his body. I remained silent as I wondered how he would react. This mission would provide me with first hand encounter of how my new ally would handle situations.

"I'll show you the dark side." He threatened, coming close to Tekka.

"You may try." He agreed. "But you cannot deny the truth that is your family."

"You're so right." Kylo said and flicked open his lightsaber. "My family stands before you! Here in the flesh, Darth Vader has returned. My dear Grandfather back from the ashes, ready to destroy those who have wronged us. The truth that is my family is right here."

Tekka stuck up his arm in fright, glancing back at me. "It is you." He breathed out. "I thought to be you, but I…I didn't think it could be possible."

"I assure you, Lor San Tekka, it _is_ possible." I confirmed as he looked at me with a mixture of fear and awe.

"Enough talking." Kylo Ren lifted his light saber and swung it down, striking Tekka. The old man toppled to the floor and I felt a jolt of exhilaration go through my body. I felt something coming toward us and my hand instinctively went to my lightsaber, but I forced myself to hold back. I needed to observe, not join.

I stood, breathing mechanically as I watched Kylo Ren spin around and stop a random blaster bolt that was fired at him in the distance. Two troopers ran up and grabbed the young man who fired the shot. They punched him in the gut and forced him to come up to us.

He was down on his knees in pain, so Kylo crouched down to meet him at eye level. The young man looked at him, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"So, who talks first?" The man asked. "You talk first? I talk first?"

"The old man gave it to you." He spoke slowly.

"It's just very hard to understand you with all the…"

"Search him." Kylo Ren cut him off.

A trooper began searching the man and he looked back at me.

"You're really Darth Vader?" He asked, wincing as the trooper roughly shoved him. I did not dignify him with a response, the sound of my breathing filled the silence. "Well, aren't you just a breath of fresh air?" He joked worriedly as the trooper pulled him up.

"Nothing, sir." The trooper reported.

Kylo glanced at me. "We can get it out of him. He's a chatty one, if you hadn't noticed." He turned to the troopers. "Put him on board."

I nodded and watched as they began taking the man back to the ship.

"His name is Poe. He is a pilot for the Resistance." Kylo said to me suddenly. "He is also a close friend to General Organa."

"It seems we have leverage then." I stated, slowly turning to see Captain Phasma approach.

We watched her approach and I wondered if she had been having any trouble with the troops. They seemed to be doing their job, but I had not really been watching. I had been too focused on watching Kylo Ren that I had not been paying the other much attention.

"Sir, the villagers?" Her voice was light.

"Kill them all."

Screams filled the air as the blasters cocked towards them. I looked to the troopers and noticed something strange. There was one trooper that did not have his blaster cocked. He simply stood as if he was conflicted.

"On my command." Captain Phasma ordered. "Fire!"

The trooper lifted his gun but then dropped it. I watched him stand there as the others did as they were told.

"Who is that Stromtrooper?" I asked Captain Phasma.

"Which one?" She asked, looking around.

"The one with the blood on his mask." I said. Kylo looked and spotted the trooper, who was now staring in our direction.

"That is FN-2187." She replied.

There was something about that trooper that put me on edge. I could feel his inner turmoil inside, but I could also feel something more. A power that had yet to be discovered.

"Bring him to me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Happy Sunday! I have a longer chapter for you all today! Yay! Thank you so much to all who have reviewed. It means so very much and it makes me even more excited to write this story. Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter and what you are excited to see happen next.**

 **Finn's POV**

I wasn't prepared for this mission.

Years of training in an elite academy had taught me many things. I knew how to survive several forms of combat, how to survive if I was somehow left behind with little or no supplies, how to shoot my way out of a disaster. I had more skills than many people would ever have in their entire life. What I didn't know, however, was how to take an innocent life.

Screams and pleas filled the air, and I watched as the troops around me lifted their blasters, and I began to wonder if they would go through with it. I wasn't the only first time troop on this mission. But, as I heard Captain Phasma give the devastating order, I realized that I was standing alone in my trouble.

The sound of bodies hitting the ground caused me to lower my blaster. I could not do it. I could not kill these casual civilians who had done nothing wrong. I knew that they were helping the enemy. They were hiding something from the First Order to try and help the Resistance, and that alone was punishable by death. Yet, deep within my very being, I knew that this was not right.

I turned my head away from the violence before me, and quickly noticed the three masked figures staring in my direction. The menacing man whom some loved and some hated, Kylo Ren, seemed disinterested in me, glancing away as soon as he saw me. He crossed his arms and seemed rather impatient with what was happening. But, his other two companions were watching me with interest. My eyes ran over the figure of Captain Phasma and I found myself shuddering. She was cold and callous, and I knew from experience how bad it would be if she were angry with me. While some of the troops would mock Kylo Ren's temper tantrums, no one would dare do anything in disrespect towards Captain Phasma.

I faintly heard her say my name, and that was when I knew that she must have noticed my hesitation. She must have saw that I never pulled the trigger. She saw that I was weak and she was going to put me through hell to make sure that it would never happen again. And, if it did happen again, I probably wouldn't be around much longer. At least, that was what she had said the first time I met her. I assumed it was protocol for her to say to every new troop, but somehow it felt personal. Like somehow she just knew I would not follow orders. I don't know, though, maybe I just knew in my heart all along that I wasn't cut out for this in the first place.

I hadn't ever wanted to be a Stormtrooper, but this seemed to be what life had picked for me. This was my destiny, or so I had been told all my life. I was born for this. I had no name, no parents, no friends. I was a Stromtrooper, and that was simply my legacy. I would never be anything more, maybe a general one day if the Gods were good to me, but that was about as wonderful as it could be. I would never want for anything more. I would never crave to have a normal life.

And maybe that was why I was so different.

I wanted something more. I saw so many opportunities and I wanted out of this life I had. My world as a Stormtrooper had only just begun, and I was already fantasizing about what I would do if I ever had a normal life. I wanted to see things from an unbiased perspective. My entire childhood was drilled that the First Order was good and that the Resistance was bad, but what I witnessed here today made my beliefs shake. If we were truly good, how could we massacre the innocent?

I know that war is an ugly thing, and that in the end, there are never any real winners. So, it makes me wonder what the Resistance would have done in this situation. Would they have murdered these people? Gutted them like pigs in the street? Perhaps the way we are supposed to kill them is more humane, a quick blaster shot to the head, while the Resistance would have tortured them until they begged for death. Yet, that thought felt felt wrong. I had never heard such rumors about the Resistance. Yes, they had killed our men and destroyed our ships before, but never had I heard of them doing something like I saw today.

"Bring him to me."

Those words traveled over to me, swirling in my ears in a way that made my heart stop. I looked at the figure standing next to Captain Phasma, and felt my body begin to tremble. The infamous Dark Lord stood just a short distance from me. Everything about him oozed complete and utter control. His presence was overwhelming and I was suddenly reminded of an old statue at the academy. The statue was made of a black marble, and it towered at twice the size of an average man. It was lean and mighty, showing Darth Vader holding a long lightsaber. It was bright red, sending off gleams of light as the sun hit it. It was made of rubies. Underneath on a dark silver plaque, were the words, _May the Force be with you._

I spent many days sitting beside the statue, staring at the words so deeply engraved. Every day after training I went to the statue to read the words and stare at the Dark Lord in a sense of awe. Many people did not pay the statue much attention. It had been here all my life, towering over me since I was a small child. But, for some reason, I felt it calling to me.

So, the area around the statue became a safe place for me to go. I would get my meal and sit on the bench next to it, enjoying whatever portion I was granted. Whenever I needed to clear my mind and think about things, that was where I went. That statue emitted a sense of calmness around me that was so indescribable. Many people looked at me like I was strange, and many didn't pay me the least bit of attention, except for one trooper.

She was two standard years ahead of me in training. She had olive skin, green eyes and hair so deep of red that it looked maroon. I was eating some slightly burnt toast and an egg when she approached me.

" _Why?" She simply asked as if I would somehow know what she was referring to._

" _What?" I asked, my mouth full of food. I put my hand over my mouth to try and shield any chewed mush from showing._

" _Why do you sit here by this old statue?" She asked, taking a step closer. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She had very long hair that my eyes were automatically drawn to. It was wavy and went down past her thigh._

" _I don't know." I shrugged and looked up at the statue. "It's not that old of a statue."_

" _Well, no. The statue isn't technically that old, but Darth Vader has been dead for decades. It seems odd that someone so young would have a fascination with him."_

" _I'm sixteen." I glared at her. "And I do not have a fascination with him."_

" _That's young." She replied flippantly. "So you just sit here for no reason at all?"_

" _Yeah, I guess. Why does it matter?"_

" _It doesn't." She pushed on my shoulder slightly, and then sat down on the bench next to me. "I was just curious."_

" _What are you doing?" I asked, growing slightly uncomfortable._

" _Sitting next to you?" She gave me a weird look._

 _I nodded and sat there awkwardly a moment before continuing to eat my food. She gazed up at the statue and began to scrutinize every little aspect. Once I finished eating I stood up and looked at her, waiting to see if she would say anything or just continue to sit there._

" _I think I quite like this." She smiled after a moment. "I will be joining you from now on." She jumped up and gave me a pat on the back and began walking away before I could even protest._

That was the first time I met my only friend in my entire enrollment at the academy. We spent a lot of time together and I began to think of her as a part of my family. But, since she was older than me, she was enlisted on a mission before I became a Stormtrooper and I have not heard from her since.

We had many conversations about training and the meals. We also talked about the statue from time to time. It was a nice way to feel like a human and have interaction instead of just being a soldier in training. I hadn't thought about her in a while and-

"FN-2187" Captain Phasma's voice broke my train of thought. "Come here at once."

I continued to stare at them, my heart pounding in my chest. My mind started screaming at me, telling me to move forward, but my feet remained glued to the ground.

"Do not make me ask again." She warned, her red cape flapping behind her.

I pushed my body forward and began walking over to the three leaders. I took a quick intake of breath and tried to calm down. I tried to pretend that Lord Vader was the statue, but his actual presence brought me nothing but fear.

"Yes, Captain?" I asked. My back was tight, my posture perfect.

"It seems that your actions have caught the attention of Lord Vader." She said, her hand gesturing to him.

I nodded slowly and forced my head to turn in his direction. I felt sweat lined around my brow, daring to drip down.

"FN-2187" He said deeply, the numbers rolling off his tongue as if he had said my name a thousand times before. "Was your blaster malfunctioning?"

I swallowed back my nerves and willed myself to speak. For the quickest of moments, I thought to lie. I thought I should say 'yes, that is why I could not follow orders', but I knew that I would get caught. They would inspect my blaster and discover the truth. "No, sir. My blaster is in perfect condition."

"Do you often not follow Captain Phasma's orders?"

"No, sir. I follow her orders." I shook my head.

"Not this one." He brought up his hand and I closed my eye in fear of being choked. I stood there waiting for the worst, but after a short time, I fluttered them open to see why it was not happening. Darth Vader's hand was still up, and before I realized it, I was spilling out all the information.

"I could not do it. I saw the fear in their eyes and it felt wrong. They were innocent people. I want to fight for the First Order, but not if it means murdering bystanders who had nothing to do with it. I am new to war and I am not used to the atrocities that come on a battlefield."

"Just kill him." Kylo Ren waved his hand at Captain Phasma. "I don't have time for Stormtroopers who cry over nothing."

"Yes, sir." Captain Phasma lifted her blaster and cocked it back.

"No!" I yelled. "I'm not ready to die!" I began breathing heavily, fear clouding my mind. I needed another chance. I would not kill innocents but I could kill others who were trying to kill me. They could just give me another chance. That's all I needed.

"Wait." Darth Vader placed his hand on her blaster, pushing it down. "Do not kill him."

" _What_?" Kylo Ren asked, anger clearly seeping in.

"I said, do _not_ kill him." Vader replied in an equally harsh tone. "This boy, he is untrained in the ways of the Force."

"Wait a second." I put my hands up. "I don't-"

"Lord Vader, clearly you are still confused from your travel. This boy is nothing but a Stormtrooper. He has no Force powers." Kylo said a little softer, annoyance still lingering.

"But, that is where you are wrong. FN-2187 is Force sensitive. Can you not feel the power that runs through his veins? There is so much potential. So much possibility." Darth Vader said simply, watching me carefully.

"You're saying that I have powers like you guys?" My head was reeling with confusion. There was no way. I was just a normal guy. I hardly knew anything about the Force, and I am pretty sure most of what I know is not true anyways.

"No, not yet." Vader replied. "But you will. You are going to be my apprentice."

I felt my mouth fall open in shock and was happy that my helmet was able to mask my surprise. Apparently I was not the only one who was not expecting this, because the way Captain Phasma twitched ever so slightly and the way Kylo Ren's rigid body was facing me, I suddenly knew that this was not something that was going to end well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I am glad you guys liked the last chapter so much. I am hoping that you like this one just as much. This is my first time writing in Kylo's POV, which I actually really enjoyed, so let me know what you think!**

 **Kylo Ren's POV**

I am no stranger to rage.

I have felt it time and time again. I have felt it flow through my veins and I have learned how to wield it. Luke once told me that fear lead to anger, and that anger lead to the dark side, which held less power and was therefore weaker. But, I have found that he was wrong about that, just as he wrong about so much else. My old Jedi master did not know the true power that anger held, as he suppressed his. He tried to teach me the same, but instead I let my anger fester.

I was angry about so many things in my youth. Some of them I will admit was nothing more than teenage angst, but some of the things I endured was enough to turn any person to the dark side. One could not imagine the pressures I faced with having the last Princess of Alderaan as my mother and an infamous war hero as my father. People expected so many things from me, and any time I did anything, I was compared to my parents. They were idols to the world and nothing I ever did would be good enough in the eye of the public. I would simply never be as good as them.

On top of that, I was being trained by the last known Jedi in the world. My legacy was to continue to bring balance to the Force and the weight of that sat heavy on my young shoulders. I remember hearing my parents argue with Luke. My mother thought I was too young to begin training, yet Luke said I was already older than many younglings had been when they were sent to the academy. My father had no idea what was right, so he naturally stayed out of the fight, saying he trusted them to do what was best. In the end, my uncle won that particular fight and I began training for something I wasn't even sure I wanted.

I knew what the Force was and Luke had been giving me minimal training ever since I could walk. I knew some basic things, mainly only how to sense other emotions and how to block people out, but I had no idea what was in store for me. My mother was fearful and refused any training for me, which confused me for the longest time. Luke told me that she too was Force sensitive but refused any sort of training. I never understood why she afraid. The Force seemed like some cool magic to me, but then again, I had only ever known my fun Uncle Luke to have the power.

Once I was enrolled in school, my parents and uncle sat down with me and told me about my grandfather. I think they expected me to be angry, but I merely nodded my head. I don't think I understood what it meant at the time. At school, everyone treated me like I was different. They stared at me with awe and once we began discussions of the war, everyone looked at me like I was a war hero myself. Eventually we began a unit on Darth Vader and how he terrorized people, and that was the moment I began to struggle with the concept of the Force. We were taught that this man was evil and that he had no room for love, but Uncle Luke told me he thought that my grandfather could have been brought back the light. That no one was every truly too far gone. I think that was what began my obsession with my late grandfather.

I studied him like he was God. I knew that he was a villain in the eyes of so many, but the more I read about him, the more I empathized with him. He was also respectable, leading armies of thousands of troops. He was also supposed to be the prophet who brought balance to the Force. I became enamored with the thought of being like him. He was related to me, after all. Things were ripped from him, just as my parents claimed things were ripped from them. I began to think, that maybe in the end, Darth Vader was the good guy and the rebels were the bad guys.

I tried broaching the topic with my parents one night at dinner, and it was in that moment I knew we would never see eye to eye.

" _Ben!" My mother called my name. "Come out of your room, dinner is ready."_

 _I rolled of my bed with a small groan and made my way to the kitchen. I glanced at the food being placed down on the table and my hand instinctively went to my stomach. I was starving and the food simply looked delicious. I hadn't eaten lunch that day, too busy reading on my data pad. I pulled out my chair and sat down, looking over to my father in slight surprise. He had out his own data pad and was scrolling through something rapidly. He had just gotten home last night from a three month long trip, so I was still not use to seeing him at the table again._

" _How was your day at school, honey?" My mother smiled at me as she joined us, pulling out her own chair._

" _It was fine." I mumbled, scooping some food onto my plate._

" _That's good." She nodded, bringing her drink to her lips. She flicked a glance over to my dad. "Han, put that away."_

 _My dad let out a sigh and clicked off his device. "I'm sorry. Something on the Falcon broke and I am looking for a new part."_

 _Mom nodded and began scooping food onto her own plate. "How was your trip, by the way? I meant to ask you last night but you got back so late…"_

" _Oh, it was just wonderful." He replied flatly. "I ran into some scumbags that were ex-Stormtroopers and that set us off course."_

 _Mom's eyes widened in shock by that news but before she could respond, I was speaking._

" _Just because they were Stormtroopers doesn't mean they are scumbags."_

 _Dad looked taken aback my words but shook his head. "Ben, trust me, these men aren't someone you would want to casually meet on the street."_

" _They could say the same thing about you!" I retorted defiantly._

" _Ben!" Mother hissed my name. "Apologize to your father right now."_

 _I shook my head. "Why? Dad was a smuggler. What makes him any less of scum than the Stormtroopers?"_

" _Ben," She was giving me my final warning, I knew that, but I had to get my point across._

" _The troopers were trained from birth and did not know any better, so how can you view them as scum? Dad knew what he was doing! He made the choice, the troopers didn't!"_

" _Your father had a rough childhood and did what he had to do. He was a smuggler, yes that is true. He won't deny that. None of us ever will deny it. But, he is also a war hero and has done so much good. For you to compare him to scum is simply unacceptable. So, if you don't apologize right this instant I will-"_

" _Darth Vader had a rough childhood and he did what he had to do, too! You can't justify what dad did and not also justify what Darth Vader did as well."_

 _My father looked at me long and hard, his eyes dark. My mother flicked her eyes from me to him._

" _Go your room." My father said, his words eerily calm. There was a coldness and bitterness in the way he spoke. I sat there a moment, staring back in defiance. "Now."_

 _I glanced at my mother, but she was only looking at my father, refusing to meet my eyes._

Yes, that was the moment. The pivotal moment that I knew my parents and I were different. They simply could not comprehend the complexity of the war. No, they saw it as black and white, and I saw it as grey. I saw it as grey for a long time and then I slowly realized that it was actually black and white after all. My parents destroyed a government that was ideal. They were the ones who ruined everything, and I would do everything in my power to bring it back.

The rage I felt afterwards was constantly burning. I was angry most of the time. I was angry at my father, my mother, my uncle, my entire life in general. The only person I could never hold anger for was my grandfather. That was, until now.

"…You will be my new apprentice."

The words shook me to my very core. He was making this idiotic Stormtrooper his apprentice? This weak and spineless man who could not even pull the trigger? I had been idolizing him my entire life, already held so much skill and also shared his bloodline, yet he had chosen him over me?

I felt Captain Phasma stiffen next to me, and before I even realized it, I pulled out my lightsaber. I clicked on its red gleam, and held it forward to my grandfather.

"He can't be your apprentice." My voice was surprisingly calm, despite my wild emotions.

Darth Vader looked at me, his hand suddenly floating over his own weapon. "I think it would be unwise to challenge me."

"I think it would be unwise to challenge _me._ " I replied, daring him to turn on his lightsaber.

There was a moment that caught my eye, and suddenly the young trooper was speaking. "Listen, I don't have to be his apprentice!" FN-2187 was clearly unsettled. "I can just continue being a Stormtrooper! Right, Captain?"

Captain Phasma took a step back. "I am not involved in this, and I would suggest you also stay out of it as well, FN-2187, for both of our sakes."

The trooper nodded his head and glanced at my gleaming red light saber. He put his hands up in an innocent gesture and took a few steps back, stumbling over his own feet.

"I do not take kindly to threats, Kylo-Ren." Darth Vader said, his hand now on his lightsaber, simply seconds away from flicking it on and engaging in a duel.

"And you think that I do?" I spat. "I am in charge, and if I say that I don't want you training him, you _aren't_ training him!"

"Jealous, are we?" He replied, and I could almost feel his smug smile. His hand dropped, no longer near his lightsaber. It was now hanging casually by his side. I went to deny his accusation, but he continued to speak. "You originally told me that Snoke was in charge, so I am afraid I will not be taking any orders from you." He turned suddenly, his cape flapping gallantly in the wind. "Come, FN-2187. We have much to discuss."

The pair began walking to the ship. I wanted to shout at him and tell him that it did not matter what Snoke said, but in the end, he made a valid point. He was technically my grandfather, so in a traditional setting, I would be the one listening to him. But, Vader is like a child in this world. He has so much more to learn. He does not realize everything that has become. The world is not the same as it was many years ago. So, I decided I would let him take this matter up with Snoke. I was not worried about what Snoke would say. I knew in my heart that he would not allow Vader to waste his time on someone irrelevant.

I glanced over at Captain Phasma, who was still watching me carefully. She seemed wary of what to do. I looked her up and down before sighing.

"Gather the other troops." I said, placing my lightsaber back in my holster. "We are returning to the base."

"Sir," She ventured. I don't think I had ever heard her talk to me before with such hesitance. "What about FN-2187?"

"Like Vader said. We will let Snoke decide." I did not owe her any more than that. I liked Captain Phasma enough, and she is probably one of the few people that I trust, but sometimes I have found it is better to not give away all of your advantages. She does not need to know that I know Snoke will tell Vader no to training the trooper.

"As you wish." She granted and then went off to do as I asked.

I turned and began making my way back the ship. I was anxious for the arrival, knowing that numerous events were about to unfold. My beloved grandfather would come to his senses after meeting Snoke, and then I shall be able to work side by side with him and take over the galaxy that is rightfully ours. But, until then, I knew it would be a long ride back to the base.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: A special thanks to all those who followed, favorited, and reviewed. I love you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter after a seriously long wait. I have had this chapter written for a while now, I just kept stalling on posting it. I kept wanting to add more length, but I decided that this is what it is, so I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think, and I hope that you still enjoy the story even though I have been slacking.**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

I could visualize myself approaching my quarters with the inclination to seal my door shut behind me for several days to allow myself the luxury of decompressing. All of the confusion I have been feeling has built up to an overwhelming sensation of turmoil and exhaustion. The mere concept of everything has been weighing heavy on my mind and soul, and I simply needed time sit and think. Since the years I have been with the Emperor, I tended to act on instinct. I relied on the feeling in my gut, but in this new world, I found no answers there. For the first time, I was without a master, and I really needed time to process.

Kylo Ren, my grandson… I might have ruined our relationship moments ago. I did not think about the consequences of my actions entirely, but then again, the more I thought about it now, the less it bothered me. I have a respect for Kylo Ren, which I would say is rather rare. I respect very few people and considering I just met him says something in itself. However, there is something about him that I find _lacking._ I always told myself that if I saw someone worthy enough to be my apprentice, it would be painfully obvious. I thought I felt a spark of something when I heard Luke Skywalker's name, but that must have been a misunderstanding with myself. He was a great Jedi, and maybe I could have made him into an even greater Sith, but I felt like once I uncovered he was my son, things would have become complicated.

When I glanced upon that Stormtrooper, I felt something within me begin to stir. Within his display of weakness, I saw a strength that could rival with the most powerful Jedi and Sith. He had Force sensitivity, that much was certain. But he lacked training. He was unaware of the power he held and that was what intrigued me the most. The boy did not realize the power he held, yet I could feel it radiating from him.

Something that perplexed me was how blind Kylo Ren was to this Stormtrooper's power. How could he not see it? It was obvious that my grandson was slightly selfish and caught up in his own problems, but this Stormtrooper could be the key to our success. I could not possibly know how strong of a Jedi Luke Skywalker is, but from what I have heard, there was reason to be slightly worried about a confrontation. So Kylo Ren should not be upset with me for choosing to add another person to our alliance. No, he should be thanking me.

"Um, Darth Vader, sir?" FN-2187 stuttered out, breaking me from my thoughts.

I turned my head to the boy and studied him carefully. He kept his helmet on, his hands fidgeting. He was clearly uncomfortable and I could imagine the beads of sweat lining his brow, slowly trickling down his face. Yet, he remained compliant to the rules of a Stormtrooper and did not remove his helmet. I nodded slowly at him. "Yes?"

"I feel like I should tell you, because it seems pretty important, you know?" He laughed nervously. "I don't know the first thing about the Force. I mean, I'm not doubting you or calling you a liar or anything like that. It's just-"

"The Force is with you." I stopped him from his rambling. "I do not expect you to know anything about it."

A sensation of relief flooded from him. "Really? Because ever since you said that I've been worried that you're going to expect me to whip out a lightsaber and start like some epic duel, and that-"

"One rarely recognizes that they have such powers. It takes another one strong within the Force to recognize the strength and ability that others have. You should have been chosen at a much younger age to have been trained in general, but that is no matter."

"Luke Skywalker wasn't trained until much later and look how badass he is!" He exclaimed. "You think I could ever be like that? Provided that isn't all a myth. I mean I thought you were a myth! But you're not! "

His eyes were you so young. He had not seen the things that many had seen by his age. This was good. He could be trained with a childlike innocence. This would make things easier for the both of us. I needed to test what strength he had now. I needed to see how far he was willing to push himself in order to become what I saw in him. I needed to see if he could succumb to the dark side with ease, or if he would struggle with the light. He had hesitation in the battle, that much I knew. Many view that as a weakness.

I needed to see if this trooper had callous. I needed to see if behind his exterior, he was hard like the academy should have made him. The other troops seemed like they were rock. They displayed no emotions when killing. It was simply a job to them.

It became suddenly clear to me what I needed to do.

I turned to the young man who was still rambling and nodded my head towards the door. "Follow me." I began walking, feeling him stumble at my heels.

"Where are we going?" He was clearly confused.

"I must see how much power you truly hold." I felt a twinge of excitement course through my veins. "We are going to the prisoner."

He stopped in his tracks. "Wait, what? I don't want to do that!"

I continued to walk without saying a word. Once I got a few paces ahead of him, he began to jog to catch back up to me. We walked in silence as we approached the part of the ship the prisoner was being held. I could sense his apprehension, but I also could feel that he had a certain desire to please me. It made me wonder what stories he was talking about earlier. Did people really think that everything was a myth? It was so strange to think that people thought actual events that happened weren't true…

Two troopers stood guard at the door. The stood casually, their blasters handing down by their side. They clearly weren't expecting anyone to be coming by.

"Lord Vader." They said in unison, greeting me.

"We wish to speak to the prisoner."

The two shared a quick look. One of them cleared their throats and stepped forward. "No one is allowed to speak with him before Kylo Ren gets what he wants from him."

My fingers twitched. "Are you telling me that you will not let us pass?"

"It's not up to us, Lord Vader." The other one piped in. "Kylo Ren gave us specific orders not to let anyone other than him speak with that Resistance scu-" He fell to his knees, gasping out for breath. His hands went to his throat and he made weak gagging noises. I saw the other trooper start to lift his gun from the corner of my eye and began to constrict his air way as well. Soon, two lifeless bodies lay before us.

I glanced over at my new apprentice. He was staring at the bodies. He looked up to me and winced slightly. He seemed uncomfortable and that unsettled me. Death needed to mean nothing to him.

"Come." I ordered, sliding open the door.

We walked into the room. It was dark, except for a dim light shining on Poe. He was gagged, his arms and legs tied down to a metal bed. As we approached, his eyes flickered to us. I reached my hand out and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Afraid, are we?" I asked as I removed the gag from his mouth.

He took a few breathes, clearly glad to be able to breath from his mouth again. He eyes lingered on me and then back behind me. "What do you want?" He let out a breathy laugh. "Did the infamous Darth Vader become a henchman to Kylo Ren? He has you in here to pull the information from me because he can't do it! Well guess what? You can't do it either! I won't give you anything!"

"I am not here to pull information from you. That will be a mindless task." I waved him off. "If I continue to let you banter, you will probably tell me all I need to know before I even ask anything. Regardless, I am here for another reason entirely."

"Oh?" He smiled bitterly. "General Organa withstood your torturing, so I know that I can too!"

"Petulant child! I am not here to torture you!" I stood over him. The fact that the young Princess was able to resist me was still such a recent thing I experienced that it was a tender spot he hit. I shook it off quickly though, focusing on the task at hand. I would think about that later. "I am here to train my new apprentice." I pointed behind me.

Poe's eyes seemed glassy as he looked behind me. "And just who is that?"

"FN-2187." I stepped back, allowing Poe to get a full view.

"A Stormtrooper?" He asked mockingly. "And what exactly is he going to do to me?"

I looked between the two young men and felt the most comfortable I had since I had arrived in this strange place. I was out of my element, yet completely in it at the same time. "Well that my dear Poe is something we are all about to find out."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: haha, you guys probably hate me because I haven't updated in forever…But, please let me know what you think of this chapter! Leia is one of my favorites to write, so I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I would like to add that the character Leo was created by** _ **the core of justice.**_

 **Leia's POV**

I stood in front of the screen, my eyes straining as a layer of gloss glimmered on them. I squinted, trailing my finger delicately across the screen as I moved to the next bit of information. I had been studying war plans, calculating different strategies for upcoming missions when suddenly I got an alert from _Galactic Gala,_ a news network that posted about politics that it genuinely had no business in. Usually, they were nothing more than slander and petty gossip about war generals, but something told me that I needed to read it. I clicked on the link and watched as an article pulled up.

It was about the First Order. 

My heart began thumping an erratic beat as my spine stiffened. I felt anticipation swirling within me. Poe was not yet back from his mission and I was trying to be as optimistic as I could for the sake of the others, but it was a sense of unwavering doom that had flooded the soldiers upon hearing no words from the beloved pilot. Poe never took this long to return from his missions. Something happened to him. Something bad.

I took a deep breath, and began to read.

" _The First Order has been spotted on Jakku."_

No. No. No.

I felt my body go stiff. My mind refused to accept the information, but the heavy weight in my heart told me otherwise. They weren't supposed to be there. The First Order was not even supposed to be near that planet. How did they even find out about it? It was classified information that only the Resistance was supposed to know about. I took a deep breath and continued to read.

" _The entire village was slaughtered by First Order Stormtroopers. They were presumably given the order by the dark leader, Kylo Ren."_

I winced as I thought of my son. Sweet, sweet Ben. The way he use to giggle and prance through the fields of green with nothing but happiness. The light that shined in eyes when he look at me and Han. He wanted to be a hero just like his parents and uncle…now he was murdering the innocent.

" _It is unknown at this time why the First Order was present. However, a witness from another nearby village said that we saw the Resistance pilot, Poe Dameron captured and taken aboard a ship."_

Anger began to swell inside of me. Nothing was working like it was supposed to. It never worked out. Nothing had worked out my entire life, why did I expect it to be different this time? I needed this information to find Luke. Now, my best pilot and closest ally was captured and Gods knew where the small unit holding Luke's location was. I was about to click off the news, thinking that nothing else on the matter would be said, when my eyes caught the words that followed.

 _"There were reportedly two other masked figures there with Kylo Ren. One of them is assumed to be one of his greatest confidents, Captain Phasma. The other figure is unknown. It was descried as being tall, holding a similar look to Kylo Ren. He apparently has a red lightsaber. Rumors have spread that there is yet another Vader look-alike working with Ren."_

I scrunched up my nose, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Who could that possibly be? Someone else with a light saber? It seemed unlikely. I thought of Luke's past students, but none would do that. The only one that ever showed any concern was my little Ben.

I did not know who that masked figure could be, nor did I allow myself to ponder on it for very long. It was something that needed to be discovered but I had other priorities to concern myself with first. All that I knew for sure was that the First Order had taken Poe and that I needed to get him back. I needed the information that would lead me to my brother so that this madness could stop.

I was unsure of what to do. I knew that I could not risk sending anymore of our men to try and retrieve Poe. No, I could not do that at such a crucial time. I felt something shift in my chest and it was suddenly clear what I needed to do. I needed to something unethical. Something that brought back tragic memories of my past.

I needed to hire a bounty hunter.

I wracked my brain to try and think of any that I could easily get in contact with that I could trust to bring Poe back alive to me. They are ruthless beings and while they get the job done. It isn't always how the buyer requests. Besides, most of the bounty hunters want nothing to do with the Resistance. It was a tricky business. Especially when you're me.

 _Leo._

The name hit me.

Leo was someone I had not seen in years. I had not heard his name since he left. No one could bring themselves to speak of him. Not after what happened. It was many years ago when Leo was a student of Luke's. His parents recognized his powers and sent him to my brother to be trained. Leo and Ben grew up together, training and learning all they knew from Luke. Although they were close when they were young, the two boys drifted apart. Leo said that there was a darkness inside Ben. He was a few years older, but still was not old enough to have his opinion taken seriously.

Before Ben completely descended to the dark side and became Kylo Ren, Leo left the training. He turned his back to Luke and refused to continue to learn if he would continue to train Ben. At the time, I had been furious. I could not fathom why he thought that my son would turn out to be so evil. I knew that Ben had some inner turmoil, but I trusted Luke to keep him on the path of the light. The argument that Han and I had with Luke about it was probably one of the worst I ever had with my brother. We wanted Leo gone for saying such things about our son, but Luke insisted on keeping him as a student.

As much as it hurts, Leo was right. I owed him an apology and I regret that I never truly gave him one. I hoped in my heart that he was a bigger person now than I was then. I clicked open a new tab and searched _The Cipher._ Pictures of the bounty hunter came up, but there was no contact information anywhere to be seen. He did not belong to any organization and was seemingly nonexistent.

I decided to browse through the information that was available. I felt my throat constrict as I read where _The Cipher_ resided. It was on Jakku. I felt myself start to laugh bitterly. Why was everything happening on that sand planet? I somehow needed to get to Jakku to hire _The Cipher_ to go and rescue Poe who was taken on Jakku.

I pressed my hand to my temple with frustration, and before I even realized what I was doing, I picked up the data ad and dialed a number I had refused to call in months.

"Please, pick up." I mumbled as the ringing filled the air. I would not have been surprised if the person didn't pick up, but I desperately hoped they would. Our last conversation had ended so terribly that neither of us had attempted to speak to one another. We were bent pretty badly and I just hoped that we weren't broken yet.

There was a click and suddenly a voice that broke through.

"Princess?" Han exclaimed excitedly. She felt a shift and he suddenly sounded panicked. "Is everything okay?"

"Han," I breathed out. "I know that you and Chewie are probably off doing whatever it is you're doing, but I need you to do something for me." I tried to make my voice sound diplomatic, but my emotions seemed to be winning the fight.

"What's wrong?" He was confused. I was too stubborn to beg Han to do anything for me, especially after he left me to deal with this all on my own, He knew me well, so he also recognized that this was serious.

" _He_ took Poe." I knew that Han would know who I meant automatically. Our conversations revolved around the same person every time.

"Why did he-"

"Poe was getting information that would tell us where to find Luke, Han. We are so close to finding him. But, the First Order got it. We have to get Poe back and get it so we can find Luke first."

There was a long silence. Han seemed to be processing the information.

"What do you want me to do, sweetheart?"

I let out breath. "I need you to go to Jakku."

I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "Funny world, isn't it? Chewie and I were actually going to Jakku to get the Millennium Falcon."

"You lost the- how did you lose the Falcon?" I asked and then stopped.

"Long story for another time." He replied. "Why do you want me to go to Jakku?"

"I need you to go and find _The Cipher._ I want him to help get Poe back."

Han remained silent again. This time it was much shorter. "Sweetheart…I doubt that Leo will even consider helping us."

"Han, please." I asked him, my voice cracking slightly. Had I been talking to anyone else, I would have been ashamed in the way I sounded. I sounded weak and fragile. "This may be our last hope into finding Luke."

I heard Han give a small sigh. "Okay. I'll talk to Leo. He'll get Poe back. I'll make it work, even if I have to end up going to rescue Poe all on my own." There was a small warble the background. "Alright, alright. Rescue him on my own with Chewie."

"The Resistance thanks you for your contribution. You will be well compensated for your sacrifice." I replied, feeling tears prick my eyes. I hated that I could depend on him for so much, yet also depend on him for so little. I loved him, yet he made everything impossible. I wanted to keep my composure, but the longer that I had to speak with him, the harder that became. I was reminded of how when I needed him more than anything, he left me. He needed to cope on his own, while I needed someone to depend on.

"And what about you? Are you going to thank me?" There was a sadness to his question that made me want to scream. When I didn't answer him, he let out a tired sigh. "How are you holding up, Leia?"

Had he used any of the pet names, I would have hung up. But the sincerity in the way he said my name made me stay. "I'm still here." I heard that he started to speak again but I tuned him out. I could not speak with him on a personal level. Not yet. "Goodnight, Han." I cut him off, and clicked off my data pad.

I looked at my reflection on the screen, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall down my cheeks. I sincerely hoped that Han succeeded in getting Leo, because that bounty hunter may be our only hope.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Thanks to all the people who favorited and followed this story! I just want to give a heads up that this chapter has a small mention of attempted rape, so if this triggers you in any way, please be wary. Please let me know what you think. Reviews give me quicker inspiration.**

 **Rey's POV**

I wasn't supposed to be here.

The hot sand beneath me feet was scorching. It felt like the cloth around my body was melting to me. My body was drenched in sweat and the material was sticking to me in ways that were extremely uncomfortably. My hair was damp and I ached for water. I twisted the lid off of my canteen and was disappointed to see that it was almost empty. I drank what was left, the sweet water bursting with wetness as hit my dry mouth.

Leo would kill me if he ever found out that I was here. He would be furious with me for going against his wishes. While he was away at work, he wanted me to stay back at the house and stay safe. It was a pity that I couldn't be content with that. I had no interest in staying the house, twiddling my thumbs while he was gone earning everything. He thought it was dangerous for me to go out alone without him on planet. However, I knew that we were low on funds. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't hide anything from me even if he tried. So, I took it upon myself to go scavenging and sell what I could to try and earn us some extra money.

I don't know where I would be without Leo. I have known him for years. After my parents left me, I was on my own and I didn't really know how to survive all on my own. There was a group of scavenger men. They were big burly beasts, towering over my small and meek teenage self. I can still remember the smell of their breath. Corellian wine always brought back the memories. The way they grabbed me. The feeling of their hands wandering up and down my body as I tried to get away. There were so many of them and I stood no chance. One of them was on top of me and I thought it was over when I saw a something I thought was only a myth.

A lightsaber impaled my assailant. There was a figure before me, their hand outstretched. I had glanced around, noticing that the other men were laying lifeless on the ground. I reached up and took the hand, meeting my new best friend. Leo saved my life all those years ago and vowed to protect me. As the years have gone by, we have grown inseparable. He has taught me that the Jedi were not just stories. He told me that he was trained by Luke Skywalker, himself! That he met the famous pilot Han Solo and the rebel leader Leia Organa. He had such a wonderful life. I have tried many times to find out why he left, but Leo refuses to tell me.

After Leo left Luke Skywalker, he became a bounty hunter. He hunts down scum and kills them to make the galaxy a safer place. However, after he met me, he started taking less risky jobs. He told me that he finally found something to live for.

I began to walk across the vast sand towards our house when I heard a strange noise. It sounded like someone in distress. I decided to go check it out. I switched my staff to my other hand and started to jog towards the commotion. As I approached, I noticed that a small droid was being taken against its will.

" _Get out of here!"_ I called out, raising my staff to the creature trying to take the droid. It made a small growl at me and continued to try and wrap the droid up in some netting. The small little white and orange droid began beeping in distress. _"That droid is mine! You can't take it!"_

I hated to see seemingly innocent beings having to fight against someone with whom they stand no chance again. Perhaps it was because I had a kind soul. Or maybe it was my past that caused me to have so much pity. I saw myself in this little BB-8 droid. Defenseless and crying out for help. I had never seen that droid in my life, yet the lie came to my lips easily.

Before I knew it, the droid was set free. The net around him was suddenly snatched up and the droid was left behind. It spun towards me, beeping out its gratitude. I smiled and told it to be more careful in the future. I started to turn and walk away when I realized it was following me around like a lost puppy. He was a cute little thing. He was circular and rolled around like a little ball, beeping happily as he trailed behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, putting my staff in a holder on my back. I had begun walking back to my house, the little droid close behind me.

There were several beeps in response.

I stopped in my tracks and whirled around. "What?! You're with the Resistance?"

He beeped again excitedly.

"And you need to get back?" I exclaimed. Suddenly, my eyes got large as I realized something. "I can get you there! Well, not me technically. But, Leo! He could do it! He can get you there!"

The droid started spinning around with glee. He stuck out a limb and flipped out a lighter, indicating a thumbs up. I found myself laughing and began sprinting back the house. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at the little droid. My mind couldn't fathom the endless adventure that we would encounter when we would take this droid back to the Resistance. We would get to meet so many important people and they would thank us and maybe give us a compensation for returning their droid. Then we would have enough money and Leo wouldn't have to keep going out on missions.

I missed Leo so much. He kept having to leave and sometimes he wasn't able to communicate with me for several weeks because of the secrecy of his missions. I craved for his return. He had not been gone very long this time, yet I ached for his return. I loved him very dearly. He meant everything to me.

As I approached, I saw the silhouette of our house. It was a very small building. It had two hammock beds, a small kitchen with a few rusted pans here and there, and a small little living area that had an exotic lamp that Leo had brought back from off planet. It was my house and I brought Leo to back to it after he saved my life. We have been living here ever since. Obviously, we have made little renovations here and there, but it was virtually the same as it has been since my parents left me alone all those years ago.

We got closer and I saw something that wasn't quite right. Something that made my heart stop. The droid noticed the shift in my mood and began beeping with concern. I grabbed the droid and pulled us behind a large hill of sand that was several yards away from my house

"There is a man standing outside the door." I breathed heavily. "It's not Leo."

BB-8 let out a distressed noise.

"No, I don't think he saw us." I shook my head. "I have an idea. It's a crazy idea, but it's all I have."

I peeked around the corner and watched the man. He was causally walking back and forth. He was shouting at someone. Or maybe he wasn't shouting at anyone at all. Maybe he was some insane man who thought someone was there and he was talking to no one but a figment of his imagination.

His voice was loud as he called out. "Nobody is here! It doesn't look like anybody has lived here for a long time!"

There was no response.

Oh yes, this man was definitely insane.

"Well, you're just being very helpful today aren't you?" The man shouted back at his imaginary partner. He turned his back to us, and I saw this as my chance. I grabbed my staff and began charging towards him. He must have heard the crunching of my feet in the sand, because as I approached, he started to turn. But, it was too late for him. My staff made contact with his leg and he fell to the ground, letting out a small noise. His hand reached to his side. He pulled out a blaster. I swung my staff and hit the bottom of his wrist, sending the blaster flying. He stuck his hands up in surrender as I pressed the end of my staff into his chest.

"Easy now." He spoke softly, and I saw a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. He had grey hair and tired eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak when I felt two giant arms wrap around me and lift me up from the ground. I let out a scream. "Put me down!" I cried out. The arms were hairy and suffocating. The older man on the ground stood up. He dusted the sand off of his body and walked over to his blaster. He picked it up. He turned the blaster over and pointed it towards me.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Rey." I ran my eyes over to search for BB-8, but he was nowhere to be found. He must have stayed behind the pile of sand. "Who are you?"

"You just like attacking people you don't know? That's pretty reckless, kid." He was arrogant. That much was obvious. "Why are you here?"

"This is my house." I tried to wriggle free from the giant thing holding me. "Who are you and why are _you_ here?"

"Oh," He looked to his partner, who was obviously not a part of the man's imagination. "We thought that The Cipher lived here."

I blinked at him. Why was he looking for Leo? Was he in some sort of trouble? I looked at him, my eyes roaming over him. He looked so familiar, like I had seen him before. A younger version of him.

It was _him._

"You're Han Solo!" I shrieked.

He winced and put a finger to his lips. "Quite down, kid! Otherwise the whole planet will know I'm here!"

"And you're Chewbacca!" I tried to turn to look at the Wookie holding me.

Han lowered his gun and I felt myself being placed on the ground.

"Listen," Han looked at me seriously. "I am trying to find this bounty hunter. I need to find him and soon. Some very important people are depending on him to help them out."

"Are you working with the Resistance now?" I knew I sounded like an excited little girl and it was probably kind of pathetic. But, he was a hero to me.

"Well, I-" He started to say when suddenly BB-8 started to roll out. He began to beep and Han's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"I rescued him." I stated proudly.

BB-8 beeped at us again, but neither of us listened.

"That is property of the Resistance and I will be taking that from you." Han said, his eyes growing dark. The Wookie nodded in agreement.

I stared at him for a second. "Is that why you needed Leo?" I asked. "To find the droid?"

"Yes." He nodded and then stopped. "Wait, how do you know Leo?"

We both stared at each other a moment when another voice broke through the air.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

I spun around and saw Leo standing there, his lightsaber glowing in hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N- I hope you like this chapter! Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed. This is the part I have been wanting to write for a long time, so let me know what you think!**

 **Finn's POV**

The prisoner was human. He had brown hair that was ruffled and light skin. He had a determined look on his face, but I could tell that he was tired. I stared at him, my pulse quickening as I listened to the exchange between him and Darth Vader.

"And just who is that?" He asked, his eyes roaming over to the darkness where I stood.

"FN-2187." Darth Vader stepped back, letting me come into focus. The light was dim. Yet, it still gleamed against the pearly white of my armor.

"A Stormtrooper?" The prisoner seemed to think it was funny. "And what exactly is he going to do to me?"

Darth Vader looked at me and then back to the prisoner. "Well that my dear Poe is something we are all about to find out." He turned and faced me. "This is Poe Dameron. A Resistance fighter pilot that has information that we need. He is going to be trying to withhold this from us, but it is only a matter of time before he reveals it."

"Information to what?" I ventured, glancing at Poe.

"He has the location of Luke Skywalker stored somewhere in that Neanderthal of a brain." He said shortly. "But you aren't quite ready to pull that information from him. You are starting off with something much more basic."

Poe let out a sigh and started to open up his mouth when Vader held up his hand.

"Silence." He hissed and then continued speaking to me. "You will need to open up your mind and pull the information from him. You must stay relaxed and feel the energy that surrounds you. You are in control. Focus everything you have on his thoughts."

I was nervous. I honestly still couldn't believe that all of this was happening. Moments ago I was in my first battle and then Kylo Ren ordered me to die. I let down my leader. I thought it was the end but then Darth Vader saved my life. Does that ever happen? Does a Dark Lord save a random person? No. They don't. But they do save someone who they see something in.

I walked up to Poe Dameron. I felt bad for this man. He seemed young, but it was apparent that the tragic events of war had taken a toll on him. His eyes were a deep brown and they reminded me of tree bark- many layers with different shades of brown. The base was a chocolate and it had strips of a color that was almost black. In the center, there were speckles of a light caramel color that made his eyes pop. A bright white surrounded with vibrant red bloodshot veins running angrily all around.

"Think of a question." Darth Vader's voice guided me. "Pull the answer from his mind."

"Okay." I breathed out. I had to think of a question. It had to be intelligent. I was performing my very first training exercise in front of Darth Vader. It has to be something creative, something that would impress him…"What is your favorite color?"

I was such an idiot.

Immediately, Poe started laughing. "Is this a joke?" His laugh was loud and quite odd. "This has to be a jo-"

Poe was cut off by Darth Vader flexing his hand out. "Do not mock my apprentice or it will be the last thing you ever do." He looked at me. "FN-2187, if you think this is some kind of game, I can assure you that it is not."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm just nervous and I really don't know what questions I should be asking here. I'm kind of new to this."

"I know that you are new to this!" He was annoyed. Had his helmet been removed, I swear his face would have been as red as bright wine. "Don't apologize to me either. If that is the question you want to ask, so be it." He took the pressure being applied to Poe away. He began coughing, regaining his breath.

I nodded and took a small gulp.

Darth Vader saw something in me.

I am one with the Force.

I can do this.

"What is your favorite color?" I asked again, trying to sound firm. I stared intently at Poe, who in turn looked at me with a smirk on his face. I tried hard, focusing all of my thoughts on his. He was thinking of the color. I know he was. He didn't think I had what it took so he was so very obviously focusing on the color.

"I might as well just say it." Poe sang out mockingly.

It was there. Right there. I could feel it.

"It's green?" I asked slowly.

Poe eyes widened and he genuinely looked shock.

"FN-2187, don't ask him the answer. State it with confidence." Darth Vader almost sounded encouraging, if that were somehow possible.

I licked my lips. "It's green. Your favorite color is green."

It was in that moment I felt something very powerful shift in the atmosphere. There was a strange sensation surging through my veins.

"Lucky guess." Poe rolled his eyes, attempting to hide his astonishment.

"Ask another question." Vader commanded. "This time, try to ask a question that is above a toddler's comprehension."

"Right." I laughed tensely. "Okay, good question. I can do that." I licked my lips. "Out of all the people in the Resistance, who would you most trust your life with?"

I glanced over at Darth Vader and he nodded approval of my question. I felt a sudden swell of relief course through my body.

Poe looked slightly uncomfortable and I knew that this was a question he wouldn't give me the answer to willingly. I had created a challenge and I was ready to take it on. I stared at intently at him and did exactly as I did moments ago. I focused all I had on his thoughts.

"Who do you trust with your life?"

I searched. I peeled through his mind. Yet, I found nothing. I was drowning. I had dipped my toe in the water and now I thought I was capable of swimming across the sea. He was blocking me out. He didn't want me in his mind. He wanted this to remain a secret.

Wait.

What was I even doing? I shouldn't be forcing myself into this man's thoughts. It was wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. This isn't me!

Vader stiffened behind me. "General Leia Organa." He sounded mechanical. It was almost like he trying to guard his own thoughts as well. "Leia Organa is the person you trust the most."

There was a pause and I felt like the energy had shifted to a feeling of sadness. I wasn't sure who the energy belonged to. Was it mine? I had failed and let my own thoughts consume me. Was it Poe's? Something he didn't want to know was ripped from his mind. Or, was it Vader's? Why was he sad about Leia Organa?

"FN-2187, you did exceedingly well. It is normal for feelings of doubt when you are being blocked." Vader said, breaking the pause.

"Sir, I don't think I can-"

"Something has happened and I must depart." He cut me off. "I trust that you will gag the prisoner and return to your quarters. Under no circumstances are you to talk to him about anything." He turned.

"Is everything okay?" I called out to him.

Darth Vader continued to walk out, ignoring my question.

I looked over to the prisoner. His eyes were glued to the floor. I felt pity for him. I would hate to have things ripped from my mind. It was wrong. I wanted to be trained to be powerful with the Force, but at what cost? I did not want to sacrifice my humanity by stealing information from someone that would somehow hurt them.

I glanced over to the mouth gag and walked a few steps to pick it up. It was dirty. There was a slight dampness to it from being in his mouth already. I went to place it in his mouth, but I found myself stopping. I knew that I was instructed not to speak, but I found myself breaking the rules anyways.

"I'm sorry that this has to happen to you." I told him honestly.

He looked up at me, his eyes glinting with a sense of wildness. "Don't ever let those pricks with masks hear you say that to a prisoner. Put the gag in my mouth and get out of here."

I stared at him. "You are disappointed that you couldn't keep Vader out." I didn't need to peer into his mind to know that was what he was thinking. "Lord Vader is the best. No one can keep him out."

Poet laughed. "General Organa kept him out." There was pride in his expression that slowly morphed into a grave face. "I wanted to be strong like her."

"I guess we both have people we are trying to impress." I granted.

His eyes traveled over to the gag. "Some more evil than others."

I moved the gag towards him and he opened up his mouth willingly. He seemed defeated already. I placed the gag in his mouth and tied rope around it to make sure he wouldn't spit it out. It seemed unnecessary to do to the man before me, but something tells me that earlier the gag was probably needed. He was most likely shouting so loud that the guards thought about killing him themselves.

I turned to leave when I felt a tinge of guilt. I took information from this man and I owed him something in return. Maybe then I could ease my conscious. I kept my back turned to him as I spoke.

"I know you don't care because the information is useless to you, but my favorite color is red. There was this statue of Darth Vader holding his light saber and the color of it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life." I exhaled deeply, remembering the way it shined. "It is stupid and childish, I know. But this way, we are even."

I felt somewhat satisfied with telling him that and began walking out of the cell-block. I wasn't sure if what I did was the smartest thing, but it certainly felt like the right thing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! This chapter is a lot of dialogue, which I like to write, so I hope you guys like to read it. Leave a review and tell me your thoughts!**

Leo's lightsaber was bright, all eyes were watching it carefully. He held it up offensively, his feet digging slightly into the sand. He pointed to Han, daring him to do anything.

Han put up his hands in defense, giving a gesture of peace. "You've grown up, kid."

The young man let out a growl. "Tell me why you are here. Now."

I stepped between the two, noticing how dangerous my companion looked. I had seen him angry a few times, but this anger was powerful. There was a tired glint in his eyes, however. His latest mission must have been taxing. Some days, the things Leo had done to other people haunted him. He did a good job at hiding it, but I was able to see through his mask.

I cleared my throat. "I found this droid. It belongs to the Resistance. Han Solo is here because they sent him here to retrieve it!"

Leo glanced over at the small droid unit. He flicked his brown eyes up. "Han Solo quit working for the Resistance years ago. He fled after his son began to destroy the galaxy."

Han winced. "I just need the droid. I was going to hire you to track it down, but seeing as you already have it, I'll be taking it from here."

Chewbacca roared in agreement. The Wookie stood behind his partner, glowering at the other humans before him.

"You aren't taking this droid anywhere." Leo seethed out. "It belongs to us."

"Leo!" I protested, looking at him with bewilderment.

"Now hold on a second. You didn't even know you had it until minutes ago!" Han glared at him. "That droid is Resistance property. You can't keep it."

Leo considered his words a moment. "We will give you the droid for a reward."

"A reward?" Han quirked his brow. "You aren't getting a reward for anything. If you don't give me this droid, you will be branded as traitors in open rebellion against the Resistance. The only reward given will be the one for your deaths"

I shook my head. Things were escalating quickly. I didn't want to be in open rebellion against the Resistance! I believed in them! They were going to help save the galaxy from the First Order. Han Solo was standing right in front of me and Leo was arguing with him. I had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Leo, please!" I looked to him with large eyes.

He looked over at me, breaking his stare down with Han. A frown formed on his lips as he took in my expression. "Rey, it's okay. Don't be afraid. He is bluffing. Solo isn't even part of the Resistance. He probably wants this droid to sell for money. That's all he cares about."

"I'm not afraid!" I argued, feeling slightly insulted. Leo always thought of me as that helpless little girl he needed to protect.

"We need to speak in private a moment." Leo hissed at Han and Chewbacca. He inched his lightsaber towards them. "Stay there." He turned and walked a little ways away and I followed him. BB-8 rolled with me, beeping at me. I looked down at it and gave it small smile, trying to give some sort of reassurance.

Leo's angry composure turned into one much softer as he looked at me alone. He slowly brought his hand to my cheek, his thumb tracing slowly up and down it. "How did you get this droid, Rey? You shouldn't have been wandering that far from the house."

"I wasn't that far. I rescued him and he told me he needed to get back to the Resistance. I told him that you could do it and as we approached our house, I realized that Han Solo and Chewbacca were there. I mean, originally I didn't know it was them but you get the point."

"Rey, I have told you some about my past. I told Han Solo what his son was becoming and he didn't listen. I refuse to help the Resistance. I do what I can to help make the galaxy safer, but I will not risk my life or yours for an organization that didn't listen to me from the start."

"Why can't we give them BB-8?" I reached up and wiped a small piece of sand from his face. His skin was dark, so the sand stood out against his complexion.

"We don't know why they need the droid. It could be for anything. I don't trust them." He grabbed my hand from his face and held it in his.

"I'm sure it has something important. Why don't we ask?"

"He won't tell us. He doesn't trust me either." He cut his eyes. "He never trusted what I said and look how the galaxy has gone to shit."

I nodded. I glanced over at the pair and studied them for a moment. Han was saying something quietly to his companion, both of them staring at us while we spoke.

"I'm not doing this for the money." Han called out, seeing that weren't speaking to each other. " _She_ called me, Leo. I haven't spoken to her in a long time and she called me. I can't let her down again."

"Who called him?" I asked, watching Leo for a reaction.

"Princess Leia." He said, his eyes growing dark. "After everything went down, Han left like the coward he is. He left his wife alone to deal with her grief and somehow try to keep the galaxy alive."

"People make mistakes. It sounds like he is trying to make amends."

"He is selfish, Rey." Leo turned to face him. He spoke louder this time, walking back over to the pair. "He never does anything unless there is something in it for him."

Han's face was expressionless but I could feel a deep sense of pain from within him. Chewbacca let out a growl.

Han rubbed at his stubble, letting out a sigh. "If this was for the girl you loved, wouldn't you do anything to get it there for her? I know you don't like me. I know you probably don't like Leia either. I don't blame you. You tried to warn us but we didn't listen. But this isn't about that. This droid is important. If it falls into the wrong hands, the galaxy is doomed. Are you willing to risk your life over your own anger with me and the Resistance in general? Are you willing to risk Rey's life?"

Leo turned and let his eyes land on me. I could see the war inside his mind. He knew that Han had a point but if he helped him, he was going against everything he stood for. I watched the battle play out and something clicked in his eyes. He had made his decision. He kept his eyes on me as he spoke. "If BB-8 is going to be returned to the Resistance, I will be the one doing it."

Han opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "I'm coming with you." I said firmly. "I found him, I want to be the one who returns him."

"You can't come." Leo protested. "It's too dangerous."

"The First Order will be on Jakku any day now." Han reminded him. "They want this droid. They will know she had contact with it. You don't want to leave her alone here."

Leo gave him a grave look but nodded. "If anything happens to her, I will kill you."

"Kid, if anything happens to that droid, Leia will kill me first." Han joked. Seeing that Leo was not laughing, he got more serious. "Nothing will happen to her."

"I can protect myself." I pointed out to the two of them. It made me furious that they thought I needed protection. I couldn't stay angry for very long though, as the excitement of the journey was overpowering. I let a smile show as I looked at the people around me. "Are we going to get to ride in the Millennium Falcon?" I knew I sounded like a little kid, but the thought of seeing the notorious ship had me beaming with anticipation.

Han let out a stressed laugh as he exchanged a glance with Chewbacca. "Yeah, about that…We are going to have to find my ship."

"You have got to be kidding me." Leo rolled his eyes with frustration.

"Hey, this is going to be a multi-step mission, okay?" He said, winking over at me. Chewie roared in agreement.

I looked over at Leo, my smile growing wider. He tried to look annoyed, but he granted me a small smile. I simply couldn't wait for this mission to begin.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: The trailer is out for The Last Jedi! Are you guys excited? I know that I am! I hope you like this chapter. Life has been crazy, so the updates have been a lot slower. BUT we are finally back to Darth Vader's perspective! This chapter is shorter, but it's been a long time since an update, so I figured I should at least post a little something to show you guys that I haven't quit writing this story. Let me know what you think.**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

I quickly evaded my young apprentice and the prisoner, stepping out of the room. My throat had constricted, making it hard to swallow. There was an intensity emitting from the door and I refused to look back. I took long strides towards my quarters, trying to center myself. What is happening to me? Why am I allowing my emotions to cloud my thoughts? Leia Organa means nothing to me. She is a spoiled Princess that destroyed my chances at ruling the galaxy. She has never been anything except a nuisance to me. So, why did her name have such a strong effect on me?

She is my daughter, that much I know. I also know that I can never truly be her father. No, not even if I wanted to. I burned those bridges when I obliterated her planet and put her through strenuous amounts of torture. She is my child by birth, but she will never be mine. Is that what hurts? The fact that I had been lied to? After all these years I thought that the baby had died with Padme, and it turns out Bail Organa had her right under my nose this entire time? I don't know which frustrated me more; the fact that she was hidden in plain sight, or the fact that I never noticed.

Poe thinks everything of her. His mind was practically screaming her name. The amount of respect was overwhelming. Yet, my incompetent apprentice didn't even see it. He is far too old to begin training, but the same was said for Luke Skywalker. I hadn't thought much of him. Obi-Wan was insane. He had been for his entire life. It is a miracle I turned out to be alright under his ridiculous training. When I discovered that his new apprentice was so old, I laughed in triumphant. Still, if Obi-Wan could train Luke into something that great in such a short time, I could train this Stormtrooper. He has the potential, but there is also much conflict within him.

I approached my quarters, the door sliding open. I was surprised to see Captain Phasma there. I immediately regretted offering the room to her. I was not in the mood to be bothered by others. Her back was turned to me and she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Do you make it a habit of disturbing others in their private quarters?" I hissed out, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

"Lord Vader." She spun around, sounding equally as surprised to me. "Forgive me for intruding once again. I just…" She trailed off. "I needed a moment for myself and I don't really have anywhere else to go."

I don't know what came over me in that moment. Whether it was some form of pity from being in a similar situation at that moment or if it was me trying to gain her trust, but I gave her a long look before nodding. "Events can shake the ground that we thought was once firm. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, sir." She replied. "Something happened but it is of no great importance. I was just leaving anyways." I was impressed with how well she could cover up the truth. She was a machine. She must have been trained from a young age that she must not seem weak in front of others. She had a shield that she could put up that could block almost anyone. I knew that something more was wrong, but I decided not to try and probe her. Instead, I found myself giving her wise words that I myself needed to hear.

"Sometimes pushing down your feelings makes it worse. Hiding them can only accomplish so much."

She looked at me and in that moment, I felt as though we were both exposed. It was for a split second, but we both let our façade break and our inner emotions leaked out. As soon as it came, it went, and we were both automatically back up on guard. She cleared her throat and gave me a curt nod. "I have a lot to do and I am sure that you have a lot on your mind." She began walking out, taking quick strides. The door slid open and as she attempted to step out, she ran into Kylo Ren. He was standing at the door, a foreboding energy surrounding him.

"Captain Phasma." He greeted her abruptly.

"Good evening, sir." She replied as she continued to leave, glancing back at me over her shoulder.

Kylo looked at me with a mix of annoyance and paranoia. "Why was my head stormtrooper in your room?"

"You did not assign her a room after you gave me hers." My voice was monotonous. "Fix that."

"Yeah," He said dismissively, obviously not interested in it now that it was not a threat to him. "I'll get to it later."

"You'll get to it sooner rather than later." I argued. I didn't appreciate his petulant attitude.

"Sure. But, listen, I don't know what you're doing right now, but drop everything. Now is the time to go and meet with Snoke. He is ready to see you."

Snoke.

A name that I am sure instilled fear among millions of people. A man who I am sure terrorized hundreds of planets across the galaxy. Someone with no morals who has done despicable things to gain his status. And yet, I felt absolutely nothing. In fact, I was just eager to get this ridiculous meeting over with. I knew that I should care. I have been catapulted into another dimension and the Sith leaders have changed, so I should want to meet with him and become accomplices. I have far more power than Kylo Ren and I would indeed be a much greater asset to taking over the galaxy. But, somewhere in the pit of my soul, I had a bad feeling about this meeting.

"Yes. I am ready as well." I began walking with him. He turned and led the way. The two of us walked in silence as we approached a large black door. Kylo held his hand to a scanner, which emitted a green light. The door let out a loud creak as it slowly swung open.

The room was empty and Kylo walked up to a device in which he entered in a few quick digits. Suddenly, a larger than life figure appeared before us. It was a hologram of a creature so hideous that I was reminded of the time I first looked in the mirror after my burn injuries. I stared up at him, showing him that his impressive size did not intimidate me. Kylo immediately kneeled before him. I nearly scoffed at the site.

"Lord Vader." Snoke spoke out with something akin to astonishment. "Kylo swore you were here on everything, yet I can't believe you are actually here. Your work was quite amazing before you vanished."

"Yes, it is strange for me as well."

"I will assume that Kylo Ren has filled you in on our intentions?"

"For the most part. We must get the droid to locate Luke Skywalker."

"Ah, well. Then this makes our meeting very simple." A small smirk appeared on lips. He glanced down at Kylo. "Since you two failed to get the droid, it has fallen into the hands of Han Solo."

" _What?"_ Kylo hissed out. "Why would he even want it? He doesn't care about any of this. He made his choice years ago when he went rogue on _everyone."_

"Regardless of why he has it, I have sensed a new threat to us." Snoke replied. "A Grey Jedi name Leo. A bounty hunter known as _The Cipher._ He is no longer a neutral party. The Force tells me that he is with Han Solo."

"Why would he want the droid?" I asked, noticing the anger rising in my grandson.

"Leo is treacherous scum! He advocated against me and refused to join us. He claims he is neutral but I have always known he would rejoin Luke and help the Resistance to our demise!"

"Silence!" I seethed at him. He was showing his weakness in front of his master. "You know nothing. You are blinded by your anger. I know that I do not know everyone like you do, but you put too much stock in your enemies. Do not let your past control your feelings."

Snoke held up his hand to prevent Kylo from speaking. "He is a threat now. So you two have a new mission. Get me Luke Skywalker's location. Whether it be from the droid or from that prisoner. And then, get rid of Leo and Han Solo while you are at it. They are becoming quite the nuisance."

"Yes, master." Kylo Ren replied, looking over at me.

I had no issue killing Leo, for I have no ties to him. A week ago, I would have had no issue killing Han Solo. He was just some worker for Jabba and I took pleasure in making Jabba feel weak. But for Kylo to kill his own father? That seemed absurd to me. Still, it would be best to just follow commands, especially if my grandson had no quarrels with it. If it came down to it, I could finish the deed for both of us.

"As you command." I replied, watching the hologram slowly fade away.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: So, I guess its official that updates seem to be running about once a month. Shout out to all 118 of you who follow this story and put up with my slow updates. You rock! Let me know what you think of this chapter. Personally, I think it was worth the wait. It is the longest chapter so far…WHO IS READY FOR THE LAST JEDI?**

 **Rey's POV**

"How exactly did you plan on returning the droid without a ship?" Leo asked, shaking his head at the pair before him.

"Well, we didn't plan on returning it without a ship. That would be impossible." Han replied sarcastically. "It's on this planet somewhere, we just have to find it."

"You do realize that this planet is vast, right? There are locations that haven't even been recorded because there is only sand and it in inhabitable for most lifeforms. Someone could have crashed your ship there and now we will never find it." Leo spoke to them as if they were children being reprimanded.

"You're just a ray of sunshine." Han deadpanned and looked up to Chewie who merely shrugged.

"I know where we can find a ship." I immediately thought of the junkyard of ships that I passed by earlier that day. "It won't be your ship. All the ones there are complete garbage. But we would at least have one."

Leo gave me a quizzical glance. "When were you at the market place?"

I shuffled my feet and looked down. "This morning. I was trying to help earn some extra rations."

"Rey! We talked about this!" He threw his hands up in the air, clearly aggravated with the entire situation. "That place is filled with scum and if they ever knew that you and I were associated with each other…Is this how you found the droid? I thought you said you didn't go far."

"I know, I know, but things have been tight and even though you won't admit it, we need the extra rations. I just want to help and that's the only way I know how. Besides, now we can get a ship!"

Han was watching them argue, but that comment caused him to cut in. "We aren't leaving this god forsaken planet until I have _my_ ship. Do you know how long I have been looking for her?"

Chewbacca howled. He was clearly on Han's side.

"You said yourself that we don't have much longer before the First Order finds us. It could be days, or it could be minutes. They don't miss a beat." Leo relented. "Rey is right, this is our best option."

Chewbacca roared, giving Han an angry look. He started speaking quickly and I couldn't follow much. All I knew were his hand gestures weren't very friendly.

"Chewie, listen, I don't like it anymore than you do. We must get this droid back first. You know how critical this is to find…" He stopped, glancing over at Leo and me. "Then we can come back for the Falcon." Han patted his friend on the arm.

Chewie replied, his voice sounding much softer.

"Then we will trace it again go to wherever she is. We will get her back. After this, it will be our top priority."

Chewie let out a low noise, apparently agreeing.

"Alright, Rey. Lead us to the ships." Han smiled at me.

I smiled back and turned, pointing to the west. "We will walk this way. It's not _that_ far." I sent a somewhat guilty expression over to Leo. He didn't look at me. He was too busy staring at Han. He was studying the older man as if he were some sort of artwork and he was an angry critic.

Han rested his hand on his blaster, a cocky smirk on his face. He sauntered behind us, Chewbacca trailing a little bit behind him. I began walking and looked at BB-8, who was beeping excitedly. Leo walked next to me. He placed his hands in his pockets as he walked. His feet were dragging slightly, and it dawned on me that he had no time to rest from his mission. As soon as he returned, all of this happened.

I could not imagine how tired he was. He had been gone for a few weeks I noticed that his skin was looking dry and I found myself worrying. "Leo, I think once we get the ship, you should rest."

Leo's eyes lit up in amusement. "Do I look that tired?"

I let out a little laugh. "You could fool anyone you wanted to, just not me."

He nodded. "I actually am quite exhausted. I finally got that woman. After months and months, I finally caught her just outside of Bespin."

I could feel Han tense up behind me, but the mouthy smuggler didn't utter a word.

"That's great, Leo. I know it has been a tough run with her. She has been on the run for years." I smiled at him.

"What has taken the other bounty hunters years only took me six months. You would think they might be more generous with the reward. But those bastards are stingy as always."

I nodded as Han let out a laugh. "You got that right. Chewie, remember how many times we bent over backwards for the lowlife Jabba and he gave us nothing in return?"

Chewbacca gave him a good-natured pat on the back, a glint of humor on his face.

"You and Han must have a lot of similar stories." I remarked slowly. The tension between the two was starting to grow worse. Not much was being said, but I could feel it simmering. I needed to be the middle person. I had to try and find some sort of common ground. They both had a tattered past together and I knew better than to mention that. But, I hoped maybe something separate they both had in common could be discussed calmly and could break the ice.

"A smuggler and a bounty hunter are very different." Han replied. There was no aggression in his voice. It sounded rather indifferent. He had his guard up. He was waiting for Leo to set the tone.

"I doubt much is similar." Leo agreed, clearly not wanting to even try.

I let out a sigh and kept walking, deciding that they weren't going to give in to my ploy. I watched BB-8 rolling in front, finding it rather fascinating to watch the sand fly up behind him. Watching him put me at ease. While I was excited about the upcoming adventure, I could not deny my nerves. This would be my first time ever leaving my home planet.

It was much longer before the five of us approached the junkyard. The ships were coming into view, the huge metal was luminating in the distance. The sun blaring down sent gleams of silver into my sight. I squinted, trying my best to see our options. I noticed that the others were trying to do the same. The smell from the market was beginning to waft towards us and I briefly wandered if Han Solo and Chewbacca would think less of me for coming here. However, Han was a smuggler. He used to deal with this kind of thing all the time. I supposed the person to try and impress would be the Princess.

As we got closer to the ships, Han froze in his tracks.

"Holy shit." Han breathed out.

"What?" I asked. "Are the ships not good?" I was beyond worried now. The ships weren't good enough and I just wasted all our time.

"It's the Millennium Falcon." He sounded completely amazed. His mouth was hanging open and he started laughing. "Chewbacca! We found her!"

Chewbacca stood there. He was completely stunned.

"That hunk of garbage is the Millennium Falcon?" I asked. I was a little disappointed. The ship had seemed so grand in all the stories. Before us was a ship that I would have never stolen. Out of all the ones here, it would have been my absolute last choice.

"Hey, watch it." Han cut me a glare. "That hunk of garbage has saved the galaxy more times than you know." He then turned to Leo. "You know what my ship looks like. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's obvious your ship has seen better days. Must have slipped my mind." He challenged, standing up a little straighter.

"Yeah, likely story." Han muttered. He was far too happy to let Leo ruin his mood. However, I could notice a shift in Han's demeanor. "Let's get going."

Han took off towards the ship, Chewbacca practically jumping next to him. I began looking around, anxious to see if anyone was going to try and stop us. Leo had the same idea, his hand immediately flying to his.

"Something is wrong." He whispered out loud. I found myself nodding, even though I knew he was talking to himself. "They're here."

I began to ask who when the first shot rang out.

The gleam of red caused me to suck in my breath.

Stormtroopers.

There were so many of them. They charged towards us, rapid firing with the intention of taking no prisoners.

"Get that droid!" One of them screamed out.

Leo clicked on his light saber and began deflecting all the shots. He looked back at me, his eyes wide. "Get to the ship!"

I stumbled forward, my mind racing in a thousand different directions. I looked at my staff and cringed at how useless it was in this situation. I took off running for the ship. Han and Chewie stood at the ramp, both firing back at the troops. Chewbacca had an enormous crossbow that had massive force. Han had extremely accurate aim, dropping troops left and right.

"BB-8?" Han yelled out to me. "You have it, right?!"

"No!" I screamed back.

"Find it! Or all of this is for nothing!"

I could feel the adrenaline building up in my body. I scanned my eyes everywhere and spotted the droid. BB-8 was hiding behind a mound of boxes, occasionally peeking out to see if it could make a roll for it.

"He's there! Behind the boxes!" I pointed.

Han let out a series of curses as he continued to fire. "You know how to shoot?" He asked me quickly.

"I mean-"

"Good," He handed it to me. "Make sure I don't die."

Han took off running towards BB-8. I watched in terror as the red gleams began firing towards him. I held up the blaster, pointing it towards a trooper. I pulled the trigger and watched as the blast pulled left. I missed. I tried again, and I missed again.

"No, no, no!" I cried out, looking over towards Han. He was almost to BB-8.

I pulled the trigger again and again, failing to hit a single trooper.

Suddenly, Han let out a yell as a blast caught him in the arm. Blood began forming and all I could do was watch with horror. He fell forward a little bit and clutched his arm, but he kept running forward. Leo looked over and saw what Han was doing. Leo began moving towards Han, still deflecting the shots. Leo began walking, acting as their shield. Han pulled out another blaster, speaking quickly and quietly to BB-8. The droid was rolling towards the ship nervously. They were halfway back when Chewbacca roared at me, pointing to my blaster.

I held it up again, trying to shoot. Even if I couldn't hit them, my shots would throw them off and delay the firing of theirs. I had to try something. I couldn't just stand there and be a liability. BB-8 needed me. Han needed me. Leo needed me. I pulled the trigger and suddenly one of the troopers hit the ground. I let out an excited squeal, looking up to Chewbacca. He gave me a smug look.

Leo quickly approached with Han and BB-8 behind him. Han ran up the ramp, BB-8 rolling ahead of him. "Let's go people. Once this ramp closes, it's not opening again!"

Chewbacca grabbed me, shoving me in front of him. Leo followed behind us and the ramp began moving up. I could hear the shots hitting the metal. It was loud, and I found myself flinching from their impact. Han rushed forward to the main control. I listened as he let out more curses. Chewbacca ran in and I heard several strange noises. The two of them were clearly having trouble getting the ship to start.

Leo stood next to me, his breathing heavy. We waited in anticipation for the ship to start. After a few moments, I could feel the panic rising in the room. Leo looked ready to burst when suddenly the ship started. We were up in the air, shots still firing towards us. The Millennium Falcon flung forward, causing BB-8 to scream and be thrown backwards. Han let out a victorious shout.

Relief was about to flood over me when there was a bang.

"Shit! Han yelled back to us. "There are two ships attacking us! I need you to go to the Falcon's gun turret and take them out!"

Leo nodded and grabbed my hand, pulling me with him. We approached the gun turret and he jumped in the seat. I followed suit and strapped myself in. I saw the other two ships and glanced over to Leo.

"I got the one on the left." He gave me a reassuring smile.

I gulped. I got the gun lined up and began rapid firing at the ship. It swiftly moved away from the blasts, and began shooting back. I closed my eyes as the blasts approached, but Han managed to dodge them all. I opened my eyes and began shooting again, this time trying my best not to shoot in any sort of pattern. I wanted to try and catch them off guard. I let out a small gasp as we moved upward very quickly and watched in astonishment as the ship I was shooting at crashed into a building.

Leo was still firing at his, so I decided to join him. With the two of us, the ship was no match. Both of us hit the ship. Leo hit it twice and I hit it once, sending it spiraling down into the sand.

"We did it!" I looked at Leo triumphantly. He didn't look up, so I unbuckled myself and ran over to celebrate with Han.

I entered and was ecstatic to see Han Solo give me a big smile.

"Good job, kid." He gave me a thumb up and then winced, glancing at his arm. "You were a lousy shot, but you got better."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." I replied sheepishly.

"Don't worry. I have had much worse." He laughed, looking at Chewie. Chewie let out a chuckle as he opened a cabinet. He pulled out a medical kit and looked at Han expectedly. Han let out a sigh, put the Falcon on auto pilot, and held out his arm.

Leo walked in the room, his arms crossed defensively. He did not look very pleased considering we just succeeded on getting the ship and leaving Jakku. In fact, he looked extremely stressed.

Han winced as Chewbacca applied ointment to his arm. He spared glance at Leo, but then focused his attention onto BB-8. The little droid was very rattled from what happened. "We are going to get Poe back."

BB-8 chirped happily and rolled forward going in little giddy circles. I liked seeing the droid happy. I figured Poe must be his owner.

"When exactly do you plan on getting Poe Dameron back?" Leo snapped. "You seem to have a lot of plans. Get the droid back and rescue Poe? How do you plan on doing all of that?"

"It's going to be a hell of a lot easier now that I have your help." Han replied. "I didn't think I would be able to convince you to help, but things worked out pretty good. Don't ya think, Chewie?"

Chewie shook his head, rolling his eyes. He began wrapping a bandage around his arm.

"We never agreed to rescuing Poe!" Leo exchange a worried glance at me.

"That's the original reason I came to Jakku. It was to recruit you to rescue Poe. Things just got weird when you already had the droid and I had to improvise."

"You improvise everything! That entire thing was entirely too dangerous! Rey barely knows how to shoot! What if that had been her instead of you? No way are we going on the First Order base to try and break him out. You're insane! We deliver the droid and then Rey and I are leaving." Leo said, his words heavy.

"Okay, sure." He held his hands up. "We can talk about this later."

"There isn't anything to discuss." Leo turned, storming off.

I watched in silence as he left before turning to Han. "He just wants to keep me safe. I know he seems like a real jerk sometimes, but his intentions are good."

Han nodded at me. "I know that. Trust me, I've been there. You want to protect the girl you love and sometimes you don't realize that you are being a giant ass to everyone, especially her. Leia has put me in my place more times than I can count."

I smiled. "I can't imagine Princess Leia needing protection from anyone."

Han looked away. "Yeah, she is tough. Real tough." I could tell that he was reminiscing, but then he looked up at me. "So are you, Rey. You got what it takes."

I felt my cheeks grow red. "Really?"

"I mean, shooting obviously isn't your thing, but yeah. You got grit. Determination. Say, you ever flown anything?"

"No, I haven't." I sucked in air quickly, hardly believing where this conversation was going.

"Well, kid. I think it's time for you to learn how to fly."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: May the 4** **th** **be with you! I literally haven't updated in months and I apologize for this. I decided to update today, even though this is very short, in efforts to get back into this story.**

 **Rey's POV**

I watched as the stars whirled past me, swirls of purples and pearly whites glittering through the glass of the ship. I couldn't believe that I was flying the _legendary_ Millennium Falcon. I was co-piloting with Han Solo, a man I never would have dreamed of meeting in my life. Who would have thought that a random girl from Jakku would meet one of the most famous heroes in the galaxy? I was awe struck by his mere presence, let alone that he was teaching me how to fly.

I thought back to my childhood, back before I met Leo. I would run down to this little market place every evening, when the sun was disappearing behind the mounds of sand and the sky was painted a soft orange. An old man cloaked in raggedy robes would sit down on a wooden stool and tell me stories about the Rebellion. He told me that he was one of the men who fought for Princess Leia and he even shook her hand once. I learned of her bravery and how she was captured by Darth Vader and that's how she met Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Every time that I went to the market place, this old man had an interesting story about the heroes that saved us all from the wraths of evil.

"You're a natural." Han commented.

I felt a redness rushing to my cheeks. I felt embarrassed that I kept blushing in front of him, but I simply couldn't help it. "Thank you."

Leo was hovering in the archway, his arms crossed. He was glancing back at Chewie and BB-8, who were currently playing one of Chewie's virtual games. I let my eyes linger on his arms, the muscles tight and his skin smooth. "BB-8 better be careful. If I remember anything about Chewie, it's that he hates to lose."

Han let out a chuckle. "Yeah, that still hasn't changed."

Chewie roared out to Han, smashing his fists onto the table. Leo cracked a grin but changed his demeanor to serious, clearly wanting to talk about something important.

"Han, I don't really want to get into an argument about this again, but we really do need to discuss where we are going." Leo pointed out. "I know that you want to rescue Poe, but we can't risk taking BB-8 that close to Kylo Ren. I really do think it would be best if we took BB-8 back to Leia first."

I noticed that he didn't mention my name, which made me happy. I hated that he always tried to speak for me and make decisions for me. I hated how he tried to act like my dad one day, and like a partner the next.

"Yeah? So, you can bail on me?" Han glared back at him. "Like it or not, I need your help getting Poe. Believe me, if I had it my way, I never would have tried to get in contact with you."

I looked between the two of them. I knew that both of them were stubborn and would argue the entire day and nothing would get accomplished. I decided that I needed to give my opinion and that would hopefully put an end to a potential fight. "I agree with Leo. I have never experienced Kylo Ren like either of you have, but I know how bad it could be if BB-8 fell into his hands. I think we should go to the Resistance first."

Han sighed and turned to call out to Chewie for backup. "What do you think about it?"

Chewbacca warbled.

"Yeah, maybe. But is that really a risk worth taking?" He asked.

Chewbacca roared back and furiously nodded his head.

"Fine," Han said. "We will go to the Resistance base first."

Leo gave a satisfied nod and made his way over to Chewie and BB-8. He gave me a quick wink before giving advice to BB-8 on how to lose the game. I smiled and looked over at Han. He had a grim look on his face. He looked tired. His eyes were big, his pupils dilated. I looked at his patched-up arm and wondered if he was in a lot of pain. He seemed to be doing good, but I also had the feeling that he liked to act like things weren't as bad as they were. He didn't seem like the type to complain about his own physical pain. I felt slightly guilty about what happened, but I knew that Han wasn't mad at me. In fact, the only feeling I got when he looked at me was that he was proud.

"Are you worried about your friend?" I asked.

"Yes." He admitted. "I am worried about a lot of things."

"I promise that I will help you, even if Leo doesn't."

Han looked over at me. "Listen, I'm probably going to get some shit for bringing Leo to the base. I need you to talk to him. He doesn't want to hear it from me. I need his help to get Poe back. He is the only one I know that can hold off Kylo Ren if it comes down to it. That's why I wanted to go with the riskier choice, but I know that you guys are right. If BB-8 ended up in the wrong hands, it would all be over. But, Poe is like family…Rey, you need to talk to him."

"Okay, yeah." I nodded. "I will."

"Don't be afraid to do whatever it takes. The Resistance is depending on you."

I slid out of the chair and made my way to the center of the ship I thought about what I was going to do to try and convince Leo and hoped that my plan would work. I walked over and placed my hand on Leo's shoulder. He glanced back at me with a small smile. I leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"Can we talk in private?"

He gave me a strange look and quickly excused himself from the game. We made our way back to the back of the ship before he asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." I shrugged. "But, I really think you should help Han get Poe after this."

"Rey, you don't understand." He said.

"I know, I know you two have this complicated history, but this Poe guy is depending on you. If you won't do it for me, do it for Poe. There is no telling what he is having to endure."

"I would do anything for you." He narrowed his eyes. "I just don't want to put you at risk in the process. Kylo Ren is a bad man. He will kill you if he wants to. "

I nodded. "What if I stay on the ship with Princess Leia?"

Leo considered me for a moment and I held my breath. I waited, hoping that he would see this as a good compromise. Leo then sighed. "Do you really want me to do this?"

"Yes." I said.

"Fine. If you stay on the ship with General Organa, I will help Han go and rescue Poe."

I gave him a small smile. He outstretched his arms and pulled me into a hug. I embraced him back, the smile on my face growing wider as I realized he fell for my plan. He believed that I was going to stay on the ship. But, that wasn't going to happen. I was going to say goodbye to Han and Leo and pretend like I was staying behind, but then I was going to get a ship and help save the day. I was going to be a hero, and I was not going to let Leo decide my fate for me.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: Oh yeah! Back with a super quick update! Leave me a review and let me know what you think! And yes, I did change my username!**

 **Leia's POV**

I was scrolling through reports when I heard shouts from the other side of the room. I glanced up, surprised by their astonished and giddy squeals when I realized what they were celebrating.

"General Organa! It's the Millennium Falcon!"

I was unable to keep my composure as my mouth fell open. Han already got Poe back? That barely took any time at all. It didn't even seem possible that Han would have been able to go all the way to Jakku, recruit Leo, track down the Starkiller base, and then also rescue Poe. I believed in Han's ability to do all of those things, just not that quickly. Something happened and he was back early. The people around noticed my expression was not of joy, but apprehension, and they all immediately fell silent.

An alert popped up on my screen:

 _Millennium Falcon requesting permission to board._

I furrowed my brow and glanced out of the glass to see the ship waiting. Since when did Han ever request to come aboard? He just did whatever he wanted, much to my irritation. I decided to send a comm to the ship and figure out what was going on.

"Han?" I asked. "Is everything okay?"

I waited a moment, the room all listening in to hear his response.

"Yeah? Leia, it's me. Listen, I have some good news and I have some bad news." he said.

"Don't you always," she muttered. "Just land the ship and I'll meet you at the boarding dock."

I stood up, aware that all the eyes were carefully watching me. I straightened my shoulders and began walking to my destination. I was wearing a deep purple dress that flowed behind me as I walked, adorned with a dark grey jacket that had a sharp collar. I had felt terribly cold recently, an unsettling feeling in my bones. No one had commented on me wearing jackets without needing to, but I could tell that some people thought it was odd. My hair was pinned up and I had a light amount of mascara on. I felt tired and I was sure that I looked it. I glanced down at my hand and realized that I was wearing my wedding ring. I stopped for a moment and wondered if Han was still wearing his.

Stop being so silly.

Why would Han still be wearing his wedding ring? We went our separate ways. I couldn't expect him to have remained acting as a married man when he wasn't even speaking to his wife. Still, it was the first time in a while that I realized that I was still holding onto a marriage that was no longer a thing. I swallowed down those feelings and continued to make my way towards them.

I arrived as the ramp on the Millennium Falcon lowered and I stood patiently, a hand on my hip. I wasn't sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't Chewbacca racing down the stairs and pulling me into a tight hug. His body was warm, and his fur was soft. He roared loudly, letting his happiness radiate freely. I let out a laugh as he spun me around.

"It's good to see you, Chewie." I said.

Chewbacca roared again and set me down. I turned to Han standing there, a cocky grin on his face.

"Hey, Princess," he said.

I felt a smile starting to grow when I noticed the wound on his arm.

"Han," I breathed out, stepping forward. My hands lightly touched the bandage that was tinged a light red. He looked down at me, watching me examine it. There was a tenderness in his gaze and I glanced back up at him. I opened my mouth to say more when out of the corner of my eye, I saw two figures walking down the ramp. I stepped back and looked to see who it was. I knew it was foolish to think it would be Poe, but there was a naïve part of me that wanted to think he would be there. Instead, there was a girl that I had never seen before. She had medium brown hair and young eyes. When she caught sight of me, she seemed absolutely awe-struck. She walked down, her white arm linked with a dark one. I looked over and felt myself flinch.

Familiar eyes flicked down to meet mine. His nostrils flared, and he tightened his grip on the girl. I had no idea how to react, completely thrown off by what was happening. I was about to open my mouth to yell at Han for bringing Leo here, but then BB-8 came rolling down the ramp.

"BB-8!" I exclaimed, smiling at the little droid beeped with joy to see me. I looked over at Han. "You found him?" Suddenly, a weight dropped in my stomach. They had BB-8, but they didn't have Poe. How could they have gotten his droid from the First Order, but not Poe? Could that mean what I feared? Was Poe dead? My mind was racing and the look on my face must have shown true horror, because Han quickly started explaining the situation.

"BB-8 was with Rey." he pointed to the girl. "She is friends with Leo. It was all one complicated but happy coincidence. We are dropping off BB-8 and then Leo and I are going to rescue Poe."

I narrowed my eyes, nodding. Leo was still staring at me intently. He was waiting to see my reaction to his presence. Part of me wanted to scream at Han for being so careless as to bringing Leo here, but I also knew that he didn't have much of a choice. Besides, if I was willing to recruit Leo to help us, I needed to accept that the rift between us was going to have to end and that the Resistance members could not treat him as a traitor.

"Rey, Leo," I turned to them. "You have helped the Resistance a great deal by getting BB-8 back to us. I will see to it that you both have suitable rooms for the night and are treated as respected guests. Please let me know if you have any trouble with anyone and I will make sure to handle the situation."

"The Resistance is helping save the galaxy and we are glad that we were able to help." Rey smiled at me. Leo nodded, apprehension still clearly written on his face. He seemed slightly more at ease now that he realized the environment wouldn't be hostile, but I could tell that he still suspected trouble.

"We need to talk about the mission regarding Poe." Leo stated simply, looking between me and Han.

"Yes," I agreed. "There is a great deal that we need to discuss."

Leo blinked, surprised by my statement. He seemed unsure, but slowly nodded in agreement.

"BB-8 will take you to the woman in charge of assigning rooms and you will be escorted from there. You will be retrieved at dinner and afterwards we can discuss the mission." I said, motioning my hand for them to follow BB-8. The orange and white droid beeped and started doing circles around Rey.

"Thank you so much." The girl's smile somehow grew wider.

I smiled back at her and watched as they followed BB-8 away from the boarding dock. Chewbacca informed us that he was going to go talk to some of the crew, such as Admiral Ackbar. There was a small silence that fell over us as Han and I stood alone. He gave a little grin and then a sigh so light that she barely caught it. His eyes slowly roamed her body and Leia refused to writhe under his gaze.

"Come on the ship," he said. "I want to talk to you."

I wanted to say no, but it had been so long since I had seen him. I knew that I had a ton of work to do and yet, I forgot all my responsibilities in that moment. I nodded at him, letting him lead the way back onto the ship. I figured that the Millennium Falcon had probably changed over the years, but I was surprised by how similar it still was. My mind was flooded with memories of happier times. All the days I spent with Han and Luke, getting to know them and growing to love them each. Memories of taking Ben to different places in the galaxy, the way our small family vacations always seemed to make everything better. I felt my heart bursting with emotion and my eyes started to glimmer. I glanced at Han, who had sat down on the couch, watching me take it all in.

I let out a sigh and sat next to him. He looked at me, his face serious and almost grim. "I wanted to talk about the mission tomorrow without Leo present."

"Okay," I said, giving him a worried look.

"Leia," he seemed unsure of how to start. "Things might get bad on this mission. Leo is all over the place. He isn't the same kid that you and I knew. Becoming a bounty hunter has changed him."

"He did seem…off." I agreed. "Are you sure it's not because of his hostility towards us?"

"Well, I think that is a big part of what sent him down this path. He hates Ben, and I don't know what will happen when they see each other."

I frowned. "The thought crossed my mind. I mean, he might try, but do you think he is powerful enough?"

"He doesn't still see him as Ben. All he sees is Kylo Ren, and Kylo was never his friend." Han said. "I just think it could get ugly."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "You know that I thought about this before I even called you. I don't just make gut decisions like you."

Han let out a laugh. "Yeah, Princess, I'm the gutsy one." He shook his head at her fondly before replying. "I need to know what you want me to do."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If there is a fight and Leo is winning, do you want me to intervene?" he asked. "Do you want me to save our son?"

I stared at him, my eyes wide. My immediate reaction was to say yes. Kylo is still our son and I want him back, not murdered. And then another part of me said no. If Kylo was to die, then the galaxy could know peace once more. I looked at Han, unsure of how to answer. I could see that he was also plagued with this impossible dilemma.

"Do you think our son is even still in there?" I asked.

"I don't know." he answered, his eyes flickered away from me. "Only one way to find out."

I flinched at his statement, immediately understanding what he meant. He was going to intervene. If Kylo killed Han to get to Leo, then our son was never returning. But, if he spared Han, we would know that Ben was still there somewhere deep within.

I was surprised that Han was willing to risk his life to prove this. It didn't seem like the Han that walked out on me after Ben turned to the Darkside. It didn't seem like the man who had given up hope and abandoned me and Luke to go fly across the galaxy and return to his previous life. Without thinking, I felt my emotions take over.

"Why do you suddenly care?" I asked. "You left and didn't give us a second glance. You don't get to abandon us and then waltz back in and die some heroic death and leave me to clean up the mess."

"I'm not waltzing in and pretending to be some hero." He snapped back. "I still care, even if I'm not around."

I felt myself laughing bitterly. "Really? You still care? Where were you when Luke left? Oh wait, you were too busy leaving me, too. You are the one that left. I needed you and you walked out on me. Your wife! Don't tell me that you care when I haven't even gotten so much as a phone call from you."

Han's face contorted into anger and he jutted his finger in her face. "Don't act like I was the only one who walked out on this marriage. Yeah, maybe I was the one who left, but you were burying yourself in work. You didn't see that I needed you and you weren't there for me either. And don't act like just because I left doesn't mean I don't still care about our son."

I pushed his hand out my face, glaring daggers at him. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. As he moved his hand back to his side, I noticed a gold glint on his finger. My eyes widened. He was still wearing his wedding ring. I was a loss for words and Han seemed surprised that the fiery Princess didn't seem to keep fighting. He followed my gaze to his hand and found himself tensing.

"I left," he said. "I left you and it crushed me. It hurt me more than you can imagine. But I knew that if I stayed, we would fall apart completely. I had to leave and I know it was selfish and I should have explained it, but we were headed down a dark path and I was scared I would lose you for good."

I blinked back tears, my hand instinctively going to touch my ring.

Han reached his hands out to me and intertwined his with mine.

"I am going to bring our son back." He promised, his finger grazing over my ring.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

 **A/N: This story has been neglected recently. I apologize to those of you who are enjoying it still. I am happy that new people are favoriting it and it has made me feel guilty about the lack of updates. I have been stuck with this story, not sure what direction I should take it. But after thinking it over, I feel like I have a clear path for what I want to happen and hopefully that means more updates for you all. Reviews are appreciated.**

 **Darth Vader's POV**

I made my way back to my quarters, my mind still reeling from the events of the day. I just told Snoke that I would follow his orders. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I can't say that I was overly impressed with him. Perhaps that is because everything else has been so overwhelming and when I met him, I was reminded of the same exact life that I had before this insane time travel fiasco. He was just a copy-cat of Emperor Palpatine and Kylo Ren was a pathetic attempt to try and emulate me. It was the same universe and to be quite frank, I have no idea what my place in it is.

I acted like I was an obedient servant to Snoke because I am unsure of how much of a threat he might pose. But, in all honesty I don't think that I want to serve another person. I trusted Emperor Palpatine and it was all a lie. He was just using me, and I don't doubt that in time I would have worked to overthrow him. I don't want to get stuck into the same rut that I was digging for myself. Perhaps this time travel was the universe giving me a wake-up call. Maybe there is some bigger message that I am supposed to take from this.

I let out a sigh of frustration. Soon, Kylo Ren and I would have to track down Han Solo and the Grey Jedi man. I was surprised to learn that there were other Jedi, but I suppose there are many things about this new world that I do not know. I have no doubt that this mission would be simple. I have no idea how old or experienced this Leo person is, but I know Han Solo. Solo was a wildcard, that much I had to respect, but his fighting style was nothing impressive. He was good with a blaster and quick on his feet. That was decades ago. At this point, he would be slower, and his aim will probably be off. I wonder if the Rebels, or whatever they call themselves now, know of my existence.

Before I could give it another thought, there was a knock at my door. I watched as it slid open, annoyance building in my mind. Why was it so hard to be left alone on this ship? I looked and saw my apprentice standing there awkwardly in the doorframe.

"Well don't just stand there," I hissed. "Come in and say whatever it is you thought important enough to disturb me in my personal quarters."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I wanted to let you know that I gagged Poe, er, I mean the prisoner."

"Do you need a pat on the back for doing as your told?" I asked irritably. I had no patience to deal with a needy apprentice.

"Well, no." he said quietly. "But you left in a hurry. Is everything okay?"

I hesitated, feeling my annoyance reach it's peak. I wanted to hurl him out of my room, but the genuine expression on his face made me swallow back my rage. He was a good kid, maybe not the smartest, but I knew that he was good. There was evil in him, yes evil that had been trained into his mind. Yet, he was one of those people who was born good. He cared about others, which was something that made him weak. I saw the way he was looking at the prisoner earlier. However, his care for others was something that could make our bond stronger and make him that much more powerful. I just had to show him that people were not worth it, which is a lesson that he would most likely learn on his own in some time.

"The things I tell you are confidential," I said. "You are to tell no one, not even Kylo Ren."

He looked at me, his eyes widening in surprise. "Isn't he your grandson?"

"Yes, he is. Family means nothing. When wielding the Force, having a family makes you weaker. I cannot have him holding me back. He is already trained and we are very different. I need someone like you."

"Okay," he said slowly. "You can trust me."

"I met with Supreme Leader Snoke earlier," I began, ignoring the awe-struck look on his face. "He wants us to eliminate Han Solo and a former bounty hunter known as _The Cipher."_

" _The Cipher?!"_ He let out a gasp.

"Ah," I felt a smile creep onto my lips. "You have heard of him?"

"Oh, yeah! He used to be an apprentice of Luke Skywalker! But he went rogue before Kylo Ren joined the Dark side."

"Why? I know that he is a Grey Jedi, but do you know what made him leave?"

"I don't know. I don't think many people know what happened. I remember learning about _The Cipher_ because he will help all organizations except for the First Order and the Resistance. He refuses to help them because he despises both sides."

"I wonder why the sudden change of heart?" I found myself asking out loud.

So, Leo was well-trained. He would most likely have similar technique to Kylo Ren, but he also probably has more tricky skills due to his experiences as a bounty hunter. My mind lingered to Boba Fett and I wondered my most trusted bounty hunter ended up. I shook my head and mentally cursed at myself. Why did I care about that? I focused on the important matter at hand. Leo was skilled, and I needed more information on him. I considered asking Kylo Ren, but I knew that he was probably being plagued with the thought of murdering his father. He didn't seem like he would be capable of destroying those he loved. Otherwise he would have done it sooner.

All of the sudden, an idea hit me.

"Go ungag the prisoner," I commanded.

"What?" FN-2187 asked.

"If Poe is close to Leia, he knows the true story of what went down. He could know a weakness and it could help. Plus, it's about time I go and get the location of Luke Skywalker."

My apprentice gave me a shocked look, his mouth opening slightly. "That is a good idea, Lord Vader. I will do that right away."

I nodded at him, pretending not notice the worry that clouded his mind regarding the prisoner.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars

A/N: Let me know what you think! Anyone have any guesses as to what Rey's plan is?

Rey's POV

The room was small. It had two single beds with thin grey sheets. The pillows were lumpy, but I really couldn't complain. It wasn't exactly perfect, but I suppose it was all that they could get for us on such short notice. It was still simply unbelievable that we were here right now. I had met General Organa and that alone has completed one of my childhood dreams. She was regal. It was hard to believe that someone so small could be so intimidating.

"Can't say I'm surprised we got stuck with this type of room," Leo muttered, plopping down on the bed.

"It isn't amazing, but it was still nice of them to give us this," I pointed out.

"Yeah," he scoffed. "More like Leia being passive-aggressive as usual."

I frowned at him. I loved Leo, but his negativity was sometimes draining. He always assumed people were out to get him. "She didn't even know we were coming. How could she have planned to give us this room when she had no idea?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You don't know her like I do."

I sighed, turning to look at myself in the mirror. I didn't feel like arguing with him. He seemed distant and I didn't want to give up any information about my plan. I stared at my brown eyes and then traveled over my form. I frowned when I realized how dirty I looked. I seriously needed to clean myself up. Especially since that woman said she would send someone to get us for dinner soon.

"I'm going to go clean up before dinner," I said.

Leo nodded, still staring at the ceiling.

I walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. I waited a few seconds, undressing from my clothes, before stepping in. I scrubbed at the sand that had caked onto my skin and closed my eyes as the water droplets cascaded down my body. I let the events from the day finally sink in, allowing myself to contain the giddiness and appear more serious for dinner. I had to make a good impression.

At some point, Leo knocked on the door and said that he had them bring us fresh clothes.

I ran my fingers through my hair one last time before shutting off the water and wrapping a towel around myself. I wiped at the fogged-up mirror and did my hair quickly into its signature look. I glanced over at the clothes Leo had set on the counter and realized it was a uniform. It wasn't what Resistance soldiers wore, but it certainly wouldn't look terrible. I suppose they didn't want us to be mistaken for a soldier, so they came up with this.

I put on the outfit and walked out to see if Leo was ready. He hadn't changed into the outfit, but I didn't press it. I knew that was his way of protesting against them in any way he could. He didn't want to be tied to one organization. He was always wanting to be rogue like that.

"You look nice," he said, smiling.

"Thank you," I said.

"C-3PO is waiting outside to escort us to dinner,"

"Who is that?" I asked, feeling slightly embarrassed that I kept someone waiting.

Leo shook his head. "Don't worry. It's Leia's uptight droid. You ready?" he offered his arm.

I accepted it and we made our way outside the room.

"Well, it is about time!" C-3PO exclaimed. "We are now three minutes and forty-two seconds behind."

"Such a shame," Leo quipped sarcastically.

The gold droid scurried down the hallway and quickly brought us to the dinning hall. It was immensely packed. There were hundreds of soldiers eating in rows upon rows. C-3PO brought us up a small set of stairs to a table that overlooked it all. Sitting at the center was General Organa. There were several other people, but the only others that I recognized were Han and Chewbacca with their backs facing us. There were two empty chairs next to them. It appeared the four of us were going to sit facing the Resistance leaders.

Leo took the chair next to Han, so I sat on the outside.

"Oh man, you had to be escorted by him?" He gestured to the gold robot with a smirk.

I laughed, realizing that the droid must be annoying to everyone and not just Leo. Even Leo managed a small smile in Han's direction at the comment.

C-3PO was about to retort when Leia cut him off.

"As polite as small talk is, I would like to cut to the chase," she said.

"You want Poe back," Leo said, the smiling fading fast. "I'll get him back. But I think it's important for you both to know that I don't do things clean. If things get messy, and I guarantee that they will, I'm not making any promises as to how I get him back."

"I cannot allow you to take any innocent lives," Leia interjected. "I understand that this mission requires sacrifice. However, I also know that sometimes you can be…overzealous. Only kill who you have to, and we shouldn't have any trouble."

Leo glared. "I'm not affiliated with your organization, so I don't think I have to listen to you."

"If we are paying you as our bounty hunter, you sure as hell better listen," Han said. "Especially if I have to depend on you to be my partner in getting Poe back."

"Leo, I know that this isn't exactly an ideal mission, but-"

He shook his head. "I'm doing what has to be done, but I got it. Don't be a mercenary," he glanced over at Han. "Just to be clear, we are not taking the Millennium Falcon."

"What?" Han asked angerly. "Why?"

Chewbacca roared in mutual protest.

"Because Kylo Ren will recognize it in a second," Leo explained. "It's better if we take a different ship."

"No," Han argued. "The Falcon is the best ship in the galaxy. Besides, he doesn't even know that I have it back."

"He probably didn't know that you lost it in the first place," Leia pointed out.

Han scowled at her. "Okay, so what do you suggest? A Resistance ship is equally as noticeable."

"You and I will take an emergency ship to this bounty hunter place I know. Then my buddy can hook us up with a ship that somewhat resembles the First Order ships. Trust me, I've had people get in before using one of these ships."

"I don't like it. I trust the Falcon." Han was skeptical.

"Listen, you're asking for my help. I'm telling you that this will work." Leo looked at Leia. "I know we have a shit relationship these days, but I don't treat my work or my life as a joke."

Leia nodded, glancing at Han. She frowned at him before nodding at Leo. "You're sure you can a ship that resembles them? I don't love the idea of giving up one of our emergency ships."

"I'm sure," he nodded. "This is the best plan. I can get us in and then I will just say Han is my prisoner. They will let us in. Kylo Ren will know Han is there at that point, but he will most likely sense that anyways. Then, Han and I will go to where they keep the prisoners, get Poe, and get out of there as quick as possible."

"What?" I asked. "That's your plan?"

Han looked at me before looking at Leia. "It's not bad. I mean, it's risky, but it's not bad."

"You can't be serious," I said. "What if they just take Han and you get separated? Then that would complicate everything."

"You got a better plan?" Han asked, shaking his head. "There is no way to get Poe back without some risk. It's better if we risk me than anyone else."

I stayed silent, not sure of what to suggest. I didn't want to tell them about my plan. They would shoot it down. But I know that it could work. I believed that it would. That was why I was going to do it.

"It appears that this is the best option," Leia agreed. She didn't seem thrilled. She sighed before taking a sip of her drink.

"I suppose we should go get out things ready then." Han said, turning to Chewie. "Let's go."

Chewbacca let out a displeased noise.

"Yeah? Well just bring your food with you then."

"You don't have to leave tonight," Leia said slowly.

Leo also stood up, having finished his food. "It would be best to get this over with. Just come get me when you're ready to go. I'll be waiting."

The three of them departed, leaving me alone with the table of the very important Resistance members.

Leia was scowling in their direction, but her face softened when she looked at me.

"Are you not going with them?" she wondered.

"No," I said. "Leo doesn't want me to go. He doesn't think I can handle myself."

Leia let out a laugh. "Men never think a woman can handle herself."

"Why is that?"

"I've been wondering that for years," she admitted, smiling at some of the others as they excused themselves from the table.

"Does Han act that way with you?" I asked,

Leia shook her head. "He's protective of me. That's just his personality. He doesn't try to stop me from doing things. Some days he might have tried, but he never won the argument. Just like I could never stop him from doing what he wanted. We're both very headstrong. But no, he never stopped me from doing something I needed to do, even if it was dangerous"

I laughed, thinking of Han trying to tell her what to do. It was a funny thought. It was funny thinking of anyone telling her what to do. However, her comment stuck me. It was time for me to tell her about my plan.

"General Organa?" I found that my voice already sounded nervous.

"Yes?"

"I have a plan to save Poe," I breathed out. "And I really think you are going to want to hear me out."


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars

Leia's POV

"I have a plan to save Poe," Rey breathed out. "And I really think you are going to want to hear me out."

Her words rang out loudly and I became increasingly aware that various members of the Resistance around us were staring intently. I narrowed my eyes at her and cocked my head to the side.

"A plan? Why didn't you suggest something before Han and Leo left?" I knew my voice seemed a little irritated, but I was rather confused with why she had withheld any ideas up until this point.

She glanced around at everyone before looking at me directly. "The plan doesn't involve Han or Leo."

I gave a skeptical expression but sat back in my chair. I let out a small sigh and decided I would hear her out. "Alright. What exactly is your plan?"

"You need to send me," she told me lowly, trying to keep the conversation between us. She didn't seem to like how everyone seemed to be trying to listen to us. "Kylo Ren doesn't know me. I can say that I want to join the First Order and then I can break Poe out."

I considered my words. It wasn't a terrible plan, but it was a bit late to try and change things around, considering the boys had left so abruptly. "Forgive me, but why couldn't this have been said when Leo and Han were here?"

"Like I said, they don't listen to me," she said. "Han is stubborn and wants to do this for personal reasons, as you are aware, and Leo never wants me in any danger. Please, consider this. Please, listen to me. I know that this is the best decision."

I felt something strange as I looked at this young girl pleading with me. I felt an odd connection to her that I couldn't quite explain. It was a feeling I had felt a long time ago, when a young farm boy had come to rescue me from Darth Vader. I trusted him instantly, as for whatever reason, I trusted Rey. I could tell she was pure of heart. I could tell that her intentions were good, and that she would be loyal to me.

"Rey, your plan is good," I granted. "However, Leo is trained in collecting people."

"Yeah, dead people!" she protested. "Leo is my best friend, but I'm telling you, something inside me is telling me that I need to do this! I have to!"

"I understand the need to prove yourself," I said. "I was once eager to show the world what I was made of. The importance of Poe is just too great for me to risk his well being on someone I just met."

I saw the hurt flash in her eyes, and I wished she understood where I was coming from. Poe was my most trusted confidant these days. He had been by my side for so long, and although I felt this strange connection with Rey, I wasn't one to go with sudden strange feelings. Leo and Han were the logical choice, and that's what I would stick with.

"Why did you need to get BB-8 before the First Order?" she asked. "What does Poe know that is so dangerous? At least tell me that."

"Well, I'm sure word is already spreading around the galaxy, so I suppose telling you can't hurt anyone," I said. "BB-8 and Poe have retrieved information regarding the location of my brother."

"Luke Skywalker!?" she gasped.

"Yes. So, you can understand why this mission is so important. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

She nodded slowly. "I understand. Thank you for everything, but I'm going to go to my room now."

I was startled by her quick departure, but I tried to pay no mind to it. I bid her goodbye and continued to finish my meal. I really was sad to disappoint Rey, but I knew my decision was the wisest. I tried to eat what was on my plate, but my appetite was small, all things considering, so I ended up engaging in small talk with a few others. I found myself becoming easily distracted as I thought of what exactly me had so drawn to the young girl.

Once the meal period ended, I departed to my room. I entered in my passcode and held my fingerprint to the pad. My door slid open and I stepped inside. After a moment, I decided I would go to the Millennium Falcon and say goodbye to Han before he left. I don't know what I planned on saying, but I knew that I would regret it if I never got the chance to say goodbye.

I turned to exit my room and as the door opened, a gasp exited my lips.

"Hey, Princess," Han leaned against the side of the wall. "Going somewhere?"

"No," I said.

He gave me a doubtful look.

"Nowhere important." I shrugged.

"Sure, sure," he nodded, stepping into my room. He looked around the room as if he were examining the details. The door slid shut behind him. "Chewbacca wanted me to tell you that he says goodbye."

"Is that the reason you came?" I asked, walking over to the mirror. I glanced at his face in the reflection of the mirror as I began to take down my hair.

"Not the only reason," he admitted, coming to strand behind me. "I wanted to come say goodbye, just in case…"

"Han," I said, stiffening at the thought of his words. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" he asked, brushing my hands away so he could take down my hair.

"You know what," I hissed. "I don't want to think about it."

I moved to step away from him, but he grabbed me. He turned me so that I was facing him and I glared up at him.

"Anything could happen," he said, his voice sounding soft. I felt my eyes widen, my mind not ready for what was about to come. I couldn't remember the last time he spoke to me like this. "I don't want something to happen and you be left wondering how I felt about you."

"Han," I started to protest, but he brought a finger to my lips.

"I have loved you since the moment I met you. I don't think either of us knew it then, but it didn't take me long to realize how I felt about you. It hit me, stronger than any blaster ever has. It wasn't just lust, or the thrill of the chase. I knew from the moment that I laid eyes on you that you were one of the rare ones. You were one of those women who was unapologetically themselves and I had never met someone so confident, so good hearted, so beautiful. I never believed in the Force, but you and Luke have changed me in so many ways. I wish things had gone differently with Ben, but we can't change the past. I love you, Leia. I have loved you, even when I haven't done right by you. I have never stopped loving you, and I never will."

My mouth was open slightly and I knew that my heart was fluttering out of my chest. "Han, I-"

I was cut off by the sound of an alarm going off. I recognized the sound of the alarm immediately and looked at Han.

"I'll be right back," I told him. "Someone is trying to go AWOL."

He nodded and took a step away from me. "I understand."

"Please, don't go anywhere," I said frantically, already making my way out of the room. "I have a lot to say in return!"

I didn't wait for his response as I began making my way down to where we kept our emergency ships. I quickly ascended down and realized I was the third to arrive, C-3PO hot on my heels. I noticed the stunned girl laying next to the buzzer and scanned around to see which ship was being loaded.

"My goodness! Look! It's BB-8!" the golden droid cried out, pointing at the third ship down on my left.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion and others began arriving.

"Why would a droid be stealing a ship?" General Ackbar questioned.

I looked at BB-8 and suddenly something clicked in my mind. It was a set-up. BB-8 wasn't trying to steal a ship.

"Rey! I yelled out, turning to run.

I left the others behind without informing them, hoping they would catch on. There was still time to try and stop her. I ran as fast as my legs would let me toward the Millennium Falcon. Luckily, the ramp was still down, so I quickly entered.

"Rey," I called out her name, entering where Han had piloted us on so many missions before.

"Please, General Organa," she pleaded, standing up. "This has to happen."

"No," I said, the authority in my voice causing her to flinch. "As leader of the Resistance, I command you to get off of this ship."

"No!" she cried out. "I'm so sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do! I'm doing this. Something is telling me to do it, and for once in my life, I'm listening to it!"

I was shocked at her outburst, but it was clear the girl had made up her mind. She turned her back to me and started the Falcon.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "You do not have permission to fly this ship! I am not leaving this base."

"We're going to get Poe!" she said determinedly. She lifted the two of us off the ground and I heard the screams of people down below.

"Rey, stop! You can't do this! Do you know how many people want me dead? I can't just leave. Land this ship immediately."  
"I'm sorry, General Organa," she said. "But if I land this ship, everyone down there will prevent me from leaving. There's no turning back.

Before I could make another protest, she thrust us forward into the open galaxy where nothing good could be waiting for us.


End file.
